"Win. H. Bixby. 

I Cap !: of "En £ ineors;XJ.:S. Arir 

FOSTER'S 

Whist Manual. 



A COMPLETE SYSTEM OF INSTRUCTION 
IN THE GAME, 



R^Ff" FOSTER. 

(Of New York.) 



BRENTANO'S. 

NEW YORK. CHICAGO. WASHINGTON. 
189O. 

rights reserved.) 



COPYRIGHT, 189O, BY R. F. FOSTER. 



Transfer 
Rftglneers School Lib^ 
June 29,1931 



PUBLISHERS 9 PREFACE. 



v^)/z£ great reception accorded to the Self -playing 
' ' ^hist Cards encourages a belief that an 
original °^or^ on ^hist by their 'Inventor, Written 
^ith the special purpose of Reaching the game, 
cwill 6e a Welcome addition to the literature of the 
subject. 

Jfs a simple social duty, apart from intellectual 
pleasure, the obligation to become a reliable partner 
in the modern scientific game is gaining recognition 
in domestic circles as °®ell as in the Clubs. *(5his 
boof[ therefore, is published not merely as another 
treatise on ^)hist; but as a complete system of in- 
struction of an altogether novel character; the whole 
subject being presented in a new light, and so arranged 
that anyone may rapidly and effectually become 
familiar ^With all those methods °which constitute the 
equipment of a first-class player. 




INTRODUCTION. 



While so many books have been written, pub- 
lished, and read, upon the art of playing Whist, 
it is remarkable that so few persons are able to 
put their teaching to any practical use. They 
seem unable to remember what was in the books, 
when they sit down to the table for actual play. 
While the authors of these works have themselves 
undoubtedly been masters of the subject, they do 
not seem to have possessed the ability successfully 
to communicate their knowledge to others. The 
excellent matter contained in many of these books 
is usually presented to the mind in such a manner 
as to confuse, rather than to assist; and it is not 
uncommon to meet with persons who have played 
and read about Whist for a number of years, yet 
are still ignorant of many of the simplest conven- 
tionalities of the game. 

The following pages are written with a view 
to communicate this conventional knowledge both 



ii. FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL. 

thoroughly and rapidly to those who wish to study 
Whist. The author has had many years' experience 
as a teacher, and the best results of that experience 
are given in the following pages. For the opin- 
ions of some of the celebrated players and Whist 
Clubs that have made a critical examination of his 
methods of instruction, the reader is referred to 
the appendix. 

There is a strong tendency among some of the 
would-be authorities of the present day, to intro- 
duce a variety of " applications n and " extensions 
of principle " with a view to making the game 
more u scientific." These writers frankly admit 
that the style of play they advocate is not the 
game that is generally played; but is the game 
as they would like to see it played, and as they 
hope it will be played — ten or twenty years hence. 
I do not feel justified in teaching these new 
theories, while they are only theories. It is no 
use to teach the pupil a game that will be unin- 
telligible to nine-tenths of the persons with whom 
he may play. The average Whist player wishes 
to learn the fundamental principles and conven- 
tionalities of the game, as adopted by all first 
class players; so that he may be able to lead 
correctly and without hesitation from any combi- 



INTRODUCTION. 



iii. 



nation of cards that may fall into his hand; to 
know exactly when and how to return his partner's 
or his adveraries' suits, or to play his own ; how to 
manage his trumps to the best advantage, and to 
be ait fait in all those little stratagems that render 
the play of an expert so formidable. The know- 
ledge of these conventionalities is the basis of all 
good Whist, and ignorance of them the fruitful 
cause of all the fault-finding that occurs at the 
Whist table. The mere possession of this con- 
ventional knowledge does not, in itself, make a 
fine Whist player; for, as an old partner of mine 
used often to remark : 1 ' Whist really begins where 
1 Cavendish J leaves off. ' ' But it forms a good solid 
foundation upon which the student may place the 
ornamental idols of the latter day saints, after 
he has become sufficiently advanced for admission 
to the temples of the " Cranks." 



aiHBi 



EXPLANATIONS AND GENERAL 
INSTRUCTIONS. 



It is assumed that the reader knows the values 
of the cards, the rules for cutting, dealing, scoring, 
&c. 

The following technical terms are used through- 
out these pages: 

The First Hand is the player who leads, or 
plays first in any trick. 

The Second Hand is his left hand adversary, 
who plays the second card in the trick. 

The Third Haxd is the partner of the person 
who played first, or led, in any trick. 

The Fourth Hand is the last person to play 
in any trick. 

For example: If A leads the 4 of Clubs, he is 
first hand; if Y plays the 10 of Clubs, he is 2nd 
hand; if B plays the Ace he is 3rd hand; and if 
Z plays the 2 he is 4th hand. B, having won 
this trick, must now lead, and in doing so he 
becomes first hand, and the player to his left, 
who was 4th hand in the last trick, now becomes 
2nd hand, and so on. 

B 



2 



FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL. 



The following notation is used: 
A K Q J 10 x 

ACE. KING. QUEEN. JACK. TEN. ONE SMALL CARD, 
xx indicates two small cards exactly, 
xxx indicates exactly three small cards, 
xxxx indicates four exactly ; and so on. 
x — x indicates two or more small cards. 

indicates with or without any small cards ; 
that is : the entire absence of small cards, or the 
presence of any number of them makes no differ- 
ence in the point under consideration. All cards 
below the Ten are simply small cards, unless their 
exact denomination is given. 

Going on with a suit is leading it again with 
a view especially to the condition of your own 
hand. 

Returning a suit is leading it again with a. 
view especially to the condition of the hand into, 
or through which you play. 

It is assumed that you know how to arrange: 
your hand ; but I may suggest that you will gain- 
speed by sorting only two suits at a time; say 
the two black suits first. Hold the 13 cards in 
the left hand, with the third and fourth fingers, 
underneath, to prevent dropping them. Sort one' 
black suit between the thumb and forefinger of the: 
right hand; sort the other between the first and 
second fingers ; while doing so, run all the red 
cards back between the second and third fingers.. 



GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS. 



3 



When the black suits are sorted, take the red cards 
only into the left hand again ; do not disturb the 
black suits; but arrange the red ones above them, 
say the Hearts on the Spades ; the Diamonds on 
the Clubs. 




Some players always keep the same order of 
suits ; others put the trumps in some definite 
position. 

In spreading out your hand, hold the cards 
lightly in the left hand, and spread them out with 
the thumb and forefinger of the right hand until 
they are like a fan, every card in sight. Nothing- 
is so indicative of a careful player as the manner 
in which he holds his cards. 



4 



FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL. 



All the exercises in the following pages must be 
practised with the actual cards; and the cards must 
be held in the hand exactly as you would hold 
them at the Whist table. 

You may imagine that you will have no difficulty 
in remembering the rules that I give you, because 
you understand them ; but I assure you that you 
will not remember them. You understood perfectly 
what was said to you at dinner last week ; you do 
not remember a word of it now. Just so with my 
rules; I do not urge you to remember the rules, 
but I urge you to train your eyes by practice with 
the actual cards. 



FIRST ROUND. 
GClhat to Ixead. Plain Suits Only. 



U A plain suit" is one which is not the trump 
suit for that deal. On picking up and sorting your 
thirteen cards, you will find that each suit in your 
hand must contain some one of the following 32 
combinations : 



A K Q J ioh 


A Q J 10 ~ 


K Q J 10 m 


Q J iom 


AKQJ h 


AQJh 


KQJh 


Q J - 


A K Q 10- 


A Q 10 ~ 


K Q 10- 


Qioh 


AKQh 


AQh 


K Q ~ 


Q ~ 


A K J 10 ~ 


A J io~ 


K J io~ 


J IOH 


AKJ h 


A J - 


KJm 


J - 


AKioh 


A 10 


Kioh 


IO 


A K -, 


A M 


K HH 


X M 



In this table all cards below a ten are ranked 
as small. Thirty-one of these combinations con- 
tain at least one of the five principal cards ; 
A K Q J or 10. The last one has no card 
above a nine. It will be noticed that all these 
combinations are marked hh to indicate u with or 
without small cards." 

Some writers on Whist take delight in parading 
the fact that there are 635,013,559,600 possible 
hands that can be held at Whist. Any one with 
a pack of cards can verify my statement that there 
are only 32 possible combinations in modern Whist, 
in which all cards below the 10 are regarded as 
"small." 



6 



FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL. 



Let us assume that the dealer sits at your right 
hand, and that it is your turn to begin by leading 
some card for the others to play to. This is 
called an " original lead." Your first care must 
be to decide what suit you will lead. 

Some authorities dwell at length on the reasons 
for selecting certain suits from which to lead at 
the beginning of a hand. 

It is generally conceded that the strongest suit 
should be selected ; not so much on account of 
its strength, which should tell at any time during 
the play of the hand, as to secure your partner's 
assistance in protecting and ' 4 establishing ' ' it. 
By leading it first, you call his attention to it, 
and notify him that no matter how poor it may 
be, it is the best you have. A suit containing 
more than one court card or ( 1 honour, ' ' is strong ; 
but A K x is not so strong as five cards in suit, 
io high. It is hard to say where the two elements 
of strength, high cards and length of suit, meet, 
but you should always lead the suit that is 
numerically strong, if only for your partner's 
benefit. A five card suit, even if it contain no 
court card, should be selected in preference to a 
four card suit, unless the four card suit contains 
at least two court cards. If you have the A K x 
of Diamonds, and the 8 7 6 5 4 3 of Spades in 
your hand, you should begin with the Spade suit. 
The high Diamonds will be useful to bring in 



FIRST ROUND. 



7 



your Spades, after all the high Spades are forced 
out of your way ; but if you begin with the high 
Diamonds, and then lead the Spades, your hand 
is dead. 

Having selected the suit, the next question is, 
what card to lead ? Two things should guide you 
in this choice ; to play your cards to the best 
advantage, so that you may get as many tricks 
as possible out of the various combinations that 
you hold ; and to inform your partner as nearly 
as possible what cards you hold in the suit. In- 
stead of learning what card you should lead from 
each of the 32 combinations, it will greatly sim- 
plify matters if you bear in mind that you must 
lead one of six things ; Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 
Ten or a Small card. 

Of these the King is led more frequently than 
any other high card at Whist, more than all the 
others put together in fact ; the Ace next, the 
Queen, Jack, and Ten next respectively. We shall 
therefore begin with the King leads, or the com- 
binations of cards from which the King is led. 

I do not originate anything in the following 
leads; I only aim at arranging the leads that are 
given in all books on Whist in such a manner as 
to enable the student to remember them. 



THE KING LEADS. 



As the King is led more frequently than any- 
other high card at Whist, your first care, after hav- 
ing selected the suit from which you intend to 
lead, should be to see if that suit contains a King. 
If so, should you lead it ? 

On the opposite page you will find all the com- 
binations of cards from which it is right to lead a 
King in plain suits. The face value of the small 
cards is indifferent. Any card below a ten is simply 
a " small card." 

Now, instead of committing these ten combina- 
tions to memory, let us examine them, and see if we 
cannot find some characteristic which is common to 
all of them; so that by recalling that one charac- 
teristic we shall be able to remember all the ten 
combinations, and therefore all the King leads. 

If we examine them attentively we shall see that 
in every instance the King is accompanied by the 
card next to it in value; the Ace or the Queen; 
sometimes by both of them. 

Now, if the King is oftener led than any other 
high card in Whist ; if these are all the combina- 
tions of cards which a Whist player can possibly 
hold from which it is correct to lead a King ; and 
if this characteristic is common to all these combi- 
nations, we have this rule : 

Having selected your suit, see if it contains a 
King ; and if the King is accompanied by the 
card next to it in value, lead it. 



IO FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL. 

Let us suppose that the same combinations 
contain only three or four cards each, as shown 
on the opposite page. Would the King still be 
the correct lead ? Yes — because it is accompanied 
by the card next to it in value. 

This will impress upon you that it is not the 
number of cards in the suit that determines the 
King lead, but simply and only the presence of the 
card next in value. 

For Practice, take an ordinary pack of cards, 
throw out all below the eights, and after shuffling 
the remaining 28 high cards, give yourself several 
hands of 13 at a time. After sorting them, see 
if you have the King in any of the suits, and 
ask yourself, shall I lead it? 

This practice will train the eye to detect a 
King lead at sight, and will relieve you from the 
necessity of keeping the table waiting while you 
cudgel your brains to recall what it was that the 
book said. The book you have read has nothing 
to do with the game you are playing. The cards 
are held in the hand, the eye falls upon the com- 
binations, and the fingers are directed by the eye. 
If the eye is the organ that is to be used, that 
is the one that must be trained. 

For examples in actual play of King leads from 
plain suits, see A's hand in games No. 2, 4, 6, 9, 
30, 31, 32, of Foster's Self-Playing Whist Cards, 
First Series. 



THE ACE LEADS. 



The next card to demand our attention, because 
led more frequently than any other high card 
except the King, is the Ace. Having selected the 
suit from which you intend to lead, if it contains 
no King, look for the Ace. If you have the Ace, 
should you lead it? 

On the opposite page you will find all the 
combinations of cards from which it is right to 
lead an Ace in plain suits; the exact value of 
cards below a ten being indifferent, as before. 

You will notice that there are not so many of 
them as there were of the King leads, and also 
that none of them contains a King. If any one of 
them did, it would indicate a King lead. From 
this you infer that the King is never in a hand 
from which Ace is led. 

Upon examining these combinations we find 
only one point of resemblance; they all contain 
at least five cards, with one exception, and in 
that exception both the Queen and the Jack are 
present; from which we have this rule: — 

If your suit does not contain a King, look next 
for the Ace, and if you have at least five 
cards in suit, lead the Ace. 

The exceptional case, when both Queen and 
Jack are present, is one of only two exceptions 



THE ACE LEADS. 



J 3 



vim 



..." 



SB 



* 














4k 



o o 

1 0^0 



4. 4. 





















•5. A 4. 

4. 4. 



7 


s? 




9? 



*o o\ 

o 



s? s? 
s? 



4. 4. 

4. * 



o 
<> <> 



s? 














* 


* 




* 





o 








4 




A 


4 


* 







9 





4. A 







o <c> 



14 FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL. 

that you have to remember in all the leads. 
If your combinations were as follows: — 



9 




the Ace would still be the correct lead ; because 
of the presence of both Queen and Jack. 

For Practice , take your pack of 28 high cards, 
and give yourself several hands of thirteen at a 
time as before. After sorting them, see if you have 
any of the combinations from which it would be 
right to lead the Ace or the King, in any of the 
suits. 

For examples of the Ace leads from plain suits 
in actual play, see A's hand in games No. 1, 17, 
18, 19, 27, 40, of the Self- Playing Cards, First 
Series. 



THTi QUMfiN LEADS. 



The next card to demand our attention is the 
Queen. The following are all the combinations 
from which it is right to lead a Queen, in plain 
suits :- — 







.. . 

ft 
























^0 


























n 




s? s? 













* 



O 




You will first observe that there is no higher 
card in a hand from which the Queen is led. If 
there were, it would not be a Queen lead, for if 
we add a King, thus : 




it is a King lead. If we add an Ace, thus : — 




<? s? 



it is an Ace lead. So it will be well for you to 
remember that just as no one is allowed to take 



1 6 FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL. 

precedence of Her Majesty, so there is no higher 
card in a hand from which a Queen is led. 

In the King leads, you remember that the King 
was always accompanied by the card next to it 
in value. If we now examine these Queen leads, 
we shall find the Queen always accompanied by 
the two cards next to it in value. (Queens want 
a little more attention than Kings, you know.) 
From which we have this rule for the Queen 
leads in plain suits: — 

If there is no higher card in the hand 
than the Queen, and if the Queen is accom- 
panied by the two cards next to it in value, 
lead it. 

If the same combinations contain only three or 
four cards, they are still Queen leads ; because of 
the absence of any higher card, and the presence 
of the two next in value. This will impress upon 
you that, as in the King leads, the number of cards 
in the suit does not affect the Queen leads. 

For Practice, take your pack of 28 high 
cards, give yourself several hands of 13 at a time 
as before, and see if you have any of the com- 
binations from which it would be right to lead 
a King, Ace, or Queen ; always remembering that 
the King first demands attention. ^ 

For examples of Queen leads from plain suits, 
see A's hand in games No. 7 and 16, of the 
Self-playing Cards, First Series. 



THE JACK LEADS. 



The card next demanding attention is the Jack. 
This card was formerly called the Knave; but 
since the general adoption of the index, or squeezer 
mark, on the edges of playing cards, it has come 
to be known by the initial J, which stands for 
"Jack." 

The following are all the combinations of cards 
from which it is right to lead a Jack in plain 
suits : — 

















The first thing that will strike you is that 
these should be all King leads. This is the 
second of the only two exceptions you have to 
remember in the leads. The first exception is, 
that Ace is led from less than five cards in suit, 
when you have both Queen and Jack. The second 
is, that King is not led from the sequence K Q J 
when you have more than four cards in suit. The 
reason being that such a sequence as K Q J and 

c 



i8 



FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL. 



at least two more small cards, is such a strong 
suit that you should inform your partner that 
you hold it. If you lead the King, that simply 
announces the presence of the Queen ; but conveys 
no information as to the Jack, or the two small 
cards. 

If we examine the foregoing combinations, we 
shall find that the Ace is never in a hand from 
which the Jack is led, and that the Jack leads 
resemble the Queen leads in one respect. The 
Jack is always accompanied by the Two cards 
next to it value. (Knaves apparently require as 
much attendance as Queens). From which we 
have this rule: — The Jack is led when ac- 
companied by the two cards next above it 
in value, and at least five cards in suit. 

As this lead confuses many beginners, we shall 
compare the King lead from only four cards in 
suit, with the Jack lead from five or more, thus r. 

KING 




KNAVE 

You know the Jack was formerly called the* 
" Knave. " Now the word Knave has five letters 



THE JACK LEADS. 



*9 



in it, and from five (or more) cards the Knave is 
led. The word King has only four letters in it, and 
from only four cards in suit the King is led. This 
will apply to all combinations headed by K Q J. 

If we shorten these combinations to suits of 
three or four cards, they are no longer Jack leads. 

For Practice, take your pack of 28 high 
cards, give yourself several hands of 13 at a time 
as before, and see if you have any of the com- 
binations from which it would be right to lead 
King, Ace, Queen or Jack ; keeping a watchful eye 
on suits headed by K Q J, so as to see whether 
or not there is more than one small card. 

For examples of the Jack leads from plain 
suits, see A's hand in games No. 10, 12, 26, in 
±he Self-Playing Cards, First Series. 



You have now mastered the Court card leads, 
;as they are called, and have found them governed 
hy these four simple rules : — 

1. King is never led unless accompanied by 
the next card in value, above or below. 

2. Ace is never led from less than five cards in 
.suit; except when both Queen and Jack are present. 

3. Queen is never led unless accompanied by 
the two cards next in value below. 

4. Jack is never led unless accompanied by 
the two cards next in value above, and at least 
five cards in suit. 



THE TEN LEAD. 



The Ten is led from only one combination, as 
follows : — 

<y 

Like the Jack lead, there are two cards above, 
but not next it in value. Any other two cards 
above it in value would form some one of the 
Court card leads, if you had five cards in suit as 
in the example. The Ten is still led from suits 
of only three or four cards, if the King and 
Jack are both present. 



For Practice, take your pack of 28 high cards 
as before. 

For examples of the Ten leads from plain suits, 
see A's hand in games No. 14, 34 and 36, in the 
Self-Playing Cards, First Series. 



s? 










THB SMALL CARD LEADS. 



If we examine the ten combinations on the 
following page, we shall find that not one of them 
contains any combination of cards from which it 
would be right to lead a King, a Queen, a Jack, 
or a Ten. For the sake of uniformity, the 
Fourth-best card is led from all such combina- 
tions ; (in each of the examples the fourth-best 
card is the 4 ;) from which we have this rule : — 
If you have no combination from which it 
is right to lead a high card, lead your 
fourth- best. 

If there were only four cards in each of these 
suits, the 4 would still be the fourth-best card, 
and therefore the correct lead. 

Examining the following four combinations : — 



9 












9? 
9? 










* 




Wt 




* * 

* * 




* 
















oooo 



























* 4 




* * 







we find that none are Ace leads ; because they 



FOURTH-BEST LEADS. 

M 

















A, &> 
















V' 


S? 







4» «^ 















4* 

o 



THE SMALL CARD LEADS. 



23 



contain neither five cards, nor both Queen and 
Jack. From such combinations the fourth-best 
is the proper lead. 

Certain conditions of the hand or of the game 
may compel you to lead from a suit of less than 
four cards. In all hands of thirteen cards some 
suit must have four cards ; but if the only one 
is the trump suit, and you do not want to lead 
it, or if it is the suit just led by the adversaries, 
and you do not want to return it, you should 
select the three-card suit having the strongest 
combination. A three-card suit headed by an A 
or a K is not a bad suit to open with, and you 
can lead your smallest card as if you held four 
in suit. If your three-card suit has nothing higher 
than a Q, still lead your lowest card, unless the 
Q is accompanied by the J, when you should lead 
the Q as from Q J 10. You may have nothing 
higher than a J in your three-card suit, as follows: 









<?> s? 
<? Y <? 




s? 




* * 

* * 
































iff 




*** 
* * 




* * 




s? s? 






s? 


























1000 

0000 





















* * 




4. 


You 


do 


not 


like to 


lead 


from 


such 


suits : 



24 



FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL 



we have seen that you may be compelled to lead 
them, so such leads are called 

FORCED LEADS, 

and from all such weak suits you should lead the 
highest card. Your partner will detect the weak- 
ness at once, and it puts him on his guard not 
to expect anything from you during that deal. 

For Practice, take the entire pack of 52 cards, 
give yourself a number of hands of 13 cards at a 
time, and after sorting them, determine what card 
you would lead from any of suits in your hand. 

For examples of Fourth-best leads, see A's hand 
in games No. 5, 8, if, 13, 15, 20, 21, 22, 23, 29, 
33, 35, 37, First Series, Self-Players. 

For a forced lead, see A's hand, game 3, First 
Series, Self-Players. 



PLAYING ON PARTNER'S LEADS. 
Plain Suits Only. 

We shall now move across the table and con- 
sider what you would do if your partner led first, 
and it was your turn, as Third Hand, to play to 
his lead. 

We shall assume that Second Hand follows suit 
with some small or indifferent card. 

The first thing to impress on your mind is 
that the suit led is your partner } s, not yours ; 
and that you must not appropriate it, however 
strong you may be. You must not trifle with it, 
or " finesse" in it. 

To u finesse " (Fr. a stratagem) means to attempt 
to win a trick with an inferior card, not your 
best ; but in such a manner as to leave your hand 
in the best possible condition in case the finesse 
fails. If this is not your object, you are not 
finessing, but speculating. We shall come later 
to the varieties of the finesse. 

There is one Finesse, not only allowable but 
expected from the 3rd hand on his partner's lead; 
that is when he holds A Qh, and his partner 
has led a small card of the suit. If 2nd hand 
plays a small card, 3rd hand should finesse the 
Q; that is, try to win the trick with it, hoping 
King is not in 4th hand on his left. If his finesse 
fails, he still commands the suit with the A. 



26 



Foster's whist manual 



As the duty of the 3rd hand is to assist his 
partner, both by getting out of his way, and by 
helping him to exhaust the cards that are held 
against him in his suit, it is first necessary for 
the 3rd hand to ascertain what his partner is 
trying to accomplish. If he leads, what does he 
lead from, and what cards in that suit does he 
want out of his way? 

He may lead any one of six things : A, K, Q, J, 
10, or a small card. In judging of the combina- 
tion from which any one of these is led, you have 
two positive sources of information; the card led, 
and the cards of that suit which you hold ; also 
two other sources, less certain, the 2nd hand's 
play, and the card with which 4th hand wins the 
trick, if he does win it. 

Ivet us begin with the simplest elements, the 
card led and your own hand. 

Begin by sorting your pack of 52 cards into 
suits, separating them. Then take any suit at 
random, say Spades, and place on the table the 
Ace opposite you, and a small card on your right. 
These will represent the Ace led by your partner, 
and the small card with which the 2nd hand 
followed suit. From the remaining eleven cards 
of the suit, take into your own hand, one at a 
time, each of the sixteen hands given below, and 
compare it with the Ace and small card of the 



PLAYING ON PARTNER'S LEADS. 2/ 

suit that you have placed on the table, thus : — 




* 4 



Then ask yourself : ' ' From what combination 
of cards did my partner lead that Ace of Spades? n 
You holding O J, know, at once, it must have 
been from A and at least four others. With some 
of the following in your hand, you infer that he 
may have either or both Q and J ; but in none 
of them the K. Go over each of these, holding 
the cards in the hand, just as if you were playing. 

K Q J 10 3 K J io 7 3 Q J io 5 2 J 10 9 5 2 

KQJ3 KJ73 QJ52 J952 

KQ103 K1073 Q 1052 10952 

KQ7 K97 Q75 975 

This practice will soon convince you that in 
the great majority of cases, Ace is led from five 
or more in suit ; so your first consideration must 
be to get out of the way of such a strong suit,, 



28 



FOSTERS WHIST MANUAL. 



unless you yourself have five. If you have five 
or more, play your smallest, waiting until you 
see who is stronger, you or your partner. If 
you have only two or three of the suit, of course 
play the lowest. But if you have four exactly, 
keep the lowest, and play your 3rd best; because 
if partner has live and you four, that is nine 
cards out of thirteen; and if 2nd hand follows 
suit, making ten, there are only three out against 
your partner when it is your turn to play. He 
must, therefore, be (numerically) stronger, in that 
suit, than anyone at the table. By keeping your 
smallest, you have always a card to lead which 
he can take; you thus avoid the chance of block- 
ing his suit, and you give him much valuable 
information, as will appear later. Even if your 
four are the K, Q, J, x, play the Jack, not the 
small one, on partner's Ace led. You may think 
this is foolish ; it is Whist, and its advantage will 
be apparent in the next lesson. 

Having thought this over a little, give yourself 
any four Spades at random, still leaving the Ace 
and the small Spade on the table, and determine 
which one of the four you would play if your 
partner led an A, and the 2nd hand followed suit. 

Then take 13 cards from the full pack of 52, 
leaving the A x of each suit on the table, and 
after sorting your hand, ask yourself how you 
would play each suit in it to your partner's Ace 



PLAYING ON PARTNER'S LEADS. 29 



lead ; at the same time noting what it is probably 
led from. 

For examples of unblocking with four exactly 
on partner's Ace lead, see B's hand, games 17 
and 27, First Series Self-Players. 

Sort out another suit, say Hearts, and lay the 
King and a small card on the table as before. 
Then give yourself, one at a time, each of the 
following hands, and ask yourself 4 4 from what 
combination did my partner lead that King?" 
AJ103 QJ103 J 10 73 

A J 7 3 Q J 7 3 J 8 7 3 

A 10 73 Q 10 7 3 10 8 7 3 

A873 Q873 9873 

When you have A J you know he has the Q ; 
when you have the Q, you know he has the A. 

In the majority of cases you can tell at once 
whether King was led from K A, or from K Q. 
In a6lual play if it was led from K Q, and you 
did not hold the A, the adversary who did hold 
it would take the K ; and you would then know 
your partner had the Q. Simple as this is, many 
players fail to notice it and, later in the hand, 
wonder where that Queen is ! 

Shuffle the pack, leaving the K x of each suit 
on the table ; give yourself some hands of 13 
cards, and consider what the K was led from. 
At the same time think what you should play to 
it. It will soon be apparent that King may be 
led from a great variety of combinations, and 



3° 



FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL. 



often from very short suits. You must not be 
too hasty in relinquishing control of the suit, as 
in the Ace leads. 

King led gives less information to 3rd hand 
than any other high card. 

As there is little chance of your blocking 
the suit, play your lowest on K led, whether you 
hold two, three, four, five, or more of the suit. 

As to taking or passing, there is only one case 
where you should take partner's K led ; when 
you hold only the A J. Your two cards are really 
of equal value, partner holding Q. Play the A 
on his King, keeping the J to lead to him, which 
he can take or pass as he pleases. If you keep 
the A, he cannot take it, and if later he leads his 
suit, your Ace blocks it by stopping him. See 
B's hand, game 4, First Series, Self- Players, for 
this play. 

Sort out another suit, say Clubs. Lay the 
Queen and a small card on the table, then 
successively give yourself each of the following 
hands : — 

AK62 K762 
A762 9762 

The small number of combinations that can be 
held against Queen led will further impress on 
your mind the certainty of what it is led from; 
apart from forced leads of course, which are com- 
paratively rare, especially with good players. 



PLAYING ON PARTNER'S LEADS. 3 1 

As practice is unnecessary here, except to go 
over these four hands and notice that none con- 
tains J or io, you may proceed at once to deter- 
mine what you will play on Q led. Now, Q J 
10 and others is a strong hand, and you must 
get out of its way. With x x x x (four small 
cards exactly) of the suit, no court card among 
them, you must keep the smallest to lead to 
partner later on; just as in Ace leads. But if 
you have a court card in your four exactly, play 
the lowest of the four to the Q. If you hold 
more or less than four, play the lowest, just as 
on A led. 

In the last of the four hands given above, you 
would play the 6 on partner's Q led; in all the 
others, having a court card, play the 2. 

Give yourself a few hands from the pack, 
leaving out the Q x of each suit, and determine 
what card of each suit you would play to Q led. 

As to taking or passing partner's Q when you 
hold the Ace. On page 25, holding both A and 
Q, you finessed the Q, trusting it to take the 
I trick. The only difference here is that your 
! partner led it ; but you can still keep your 
Ace, and trust to K being on your right. But 
what if you hold both A and K, and only one 
small one? If you play the small one, your A K 
will block partner's J 10 ; therefore take the Q with 
the K, keeping the small one to lead him later on. 



32 



FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL. 



With A K x x, play the smallest card. 

For examples of playing on partner's Q led 
see B's hand, games 3 and 7, First Series, Self- 
Players. 

Sort out another suit, this time the Diamonds, 
and lay the Jack and a small card on the table. 
Then give yourself: — 



In the first four of these you infer that the J 
was led from K Q J x m x (at least two small 
cards). In the last four you know at once that 
the lead was forced, and that the J is the highest 
of three cards only. 

In deciding what to play to it, follow the same 
principle as with Q leads; keep the lowest of 
exactly four small cards, no court card among 
them ; play the lowest of more or less than four. 

But if you hold A, K, or Q, shall you pass 
or take the Jack led? A moment's reflection will 
show you that if you hold K or Q, or both of 
them, the J was a forced lead. With the last three 
of the hands given above, you gain nothing by 
taking the J, let it pass. With A K x x you 
should take the J led, unless you are very strong 
in trumps, and can afford to risk the Q taking. 
With A x only, you should always take the J 



A 10 6 2 

A 8 6 2 
10 8 6 2 
8652 



A K 6 3 

K Q 6 3 

K 8 6 3 

Q 8 6 3 



PLAYING ON PARTNERS LEADS. 33 

led, by which you accomplish two things: you 
keep a small card to lead to partner; and, you 
let him know by your taking his J with your A 
that you have only one left of that suit, or none 
at all. 

Give yourself a number of hands from the full 
pack, leaving the J x of each suit on the table 
as before. 

Sort out another suit; and lay the Ten and a 
small card on the table, giving yourself the fol- 
lowing hands : — 

A Q 5 3 I Q 7 5 3 

A 7 5 3 I 9 7 5 3 

Your only consideration is how to help your 
partner ; how to get out of the way of his J K h; 
or to force out the cards against him. With two 
cards only, the A and Q, the usual finesse of 
the Q would be imprudent, as your A might 
block his suit of K J and others. 

With the second of the hands given above, it 
is best to take the 10 led; but if you have the 
Q, pass it, in the hope that the 10 may force the 
A if it is on your left, as you remember that the 
A is never in a hand from which a Ten, Jack, 
or Queen is led. If you hold x x x x of the suit, 
110 court card among them, keep the lowest of 
the four, as in former cases. The next exercise 
will develop the importance of this play, and 
impress it more strongly on the memory. 

D 



THE ELEVEN RULE. 



When a Low Card is led originally, most players 
regard it as a part of chaos, without meaning, and 
void of interest. 

The presumption is that your partner has no 
combination of high cards from which to lead ; 
but that, as he has always a suit of at least four 
cards, he has selected that ; and as this card is 
smaller than a 10, it is his fourth best card of 
that suit, no matter how many he holds. What 
you want to ascertain is, what are the three cards 
in his hand that are better than the one led. 

As it is not always possible to ascertain this, 
merely from the card led, the next best thing is 
to discover how many cards the adversaries hold 
in your partner's suit that are better than any 
or all of his unknown cards. This is very im- 
portant. 

To accomplish this, I have formulated the follow- 
ing rule, which I discovered in 1881, after much 
careful study. Its usefulness I have found to be so- 
great that I wonder it was not discovered before : — 

Rule: Dedudl from eleven the number of spots 
on the small card led ; the remainder is the 
number of cards that are held against your part- 
ner's suit, higher than the one led. 

For example, he leads a 9. 9 from 11 leaves 
2. If you hold and can get rid of any two cards 



THE ELEVEN RULE. 



35 



higher than the one led, or can force the adver- 
saries to play them ; or if your partner can catch 
them, his suit is " established. n Don't trouble 
yourself with what they are, any two larger than 
the one led is the point. Suppose he led this 
9 from A Q 10 95 the two cards against him are 
the K and the J. If he led 8 from A J 10 8 ; 
8 from 11 leaves 3; these three are the K Q 
and 9. He knows what they are ; you know how 
many there are. 

The second part of my rule is this: from the 
remainder thus found, dedudl the number of cards 
you hold which are larger than the one led ; this 
last remainder is the number of cards the advert 
saries hold against your partner and yourself in 
that suit. If he led a 7, which from 11 leaves 4, 
and you hold A K 9 w, the adversaries hold only 
one card higher than the 7 led by your partner. 

As an example, take into your hand the A K 9 
3 of any suit ; place on the table the 7 as led 
by your partner, and the 10 as played by the 
2nd hand. You play the K to win the trick ; 4th 
hand plays the 4. You can locate the whole suit. 
The 7 from 11 leaves 4, all in sight. Then your 
partner's suit is established as soon as you get 
rid of your A and 9. On your right are no more ; 
on your left can be only the 5 and 6, either, both, 
or neither. Your partner has the 2 and 3, with 
his Q J 8. 



36 



FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL. 



Your knowledge of the eleven rule here tells 
you three things ; your partner had six cards when 
he led; his suit is established; the player on 
your right will trump if you lead the suit again.* 

Practice the foregoing by taking several hands 
of 13 cards from the pack; and after sorting them, 
place two small cards of any suit in the centre 
of the table ; assume that your partner led one, look 
at the same suit in your own hand, and apply this 
rule. The card played by 2nd hand is often larger 
than the one led, and can be counted. In a6lual 
play the 4th hand may win the trick, or play a 
card larger than the one led, which can be counted. 

In this practice be careful to observe where the 
card you assume to be led by partner is obviously 
impossible, or wrong. For example ; you have 
placed on the table the 8 and 7 as played by 
your partner and 2nd hand ; but on sorting your 
own 13 cards, you find the A Q 9 of that suit. 8 
from 11 leaves 3, all of which you hold. The only 
3 that he can hold above an 8 are the K J and 
10 ; from which he should have led the 10. This 
practice in detecting such inconsistencies is of great 
value, and should receive special attention. 

* Mr. E. F. M. Benecke, of Baliol College, Oxford, England, in a 
letter to the London "Field,'' of Feb. 15th, 1890, claims to have 
independently discovered this rule ; at which I am not at all surprised, 
having often wondered why it was not discovered by every attentive 
player; but as I first discovered it in the winter of 1880- 1, I wrote 
claiming the priority of the discovery and giving a brief account of 
how it came about. This appeared in the "Field" of Feb. 8th, 1890. 



REMARKS. 



The only alteration in your play as 3rd hand, 
will be if 2nd hand does not follow suit. In that 
case you must not be in too great a hurry to 
" unblock, " but await developments, and play 
your lowest always, even from exactly four cards 
of the suit 

I trust it is not necessary to tell you that in 
winning, or attempting to win any trick, you 
should do so as cheaply as possible. That is to 
say, if you hold A K Q of a suit led up to you, 
take it with the Q. If you hold J 10, the 10 
will take it as well as the J. Some 4 ' dark 5 ' 
players, thinking A K Q are ' 4 all the same ' ' if 
in one hand, play the A, to deceive their adver- 
saries as to the position of the K and Q ; but they 
deceive their partners only, who are afraid to lead 
the suit again. So with small cards, if you have 
the 432, play the 2 ; you cannot be too careful 
in this respect. At all stages of the game take 
tricks with the lowest card that will take them. 
If A and Q have been played, and you hold K J, 
play the J. The only exceptions are in trumps 
led by your adversaries, or so late in the hand 
that it is of no importance to your partner what 
you play. 

We shall now consider what you should do on 
the second round of the suit. 



SECOND ROUND. 
Going on mith Plain Suits. 

First Hand. To simplify matters, we shall 
for the present disregard the cards played by 
others to your first lead, and suppose them to be 
small or indifferent ones. This will imply that 
you won the first trick with the first card you 
led, and will confine our attention to hands from 
which high cards are led first. 

The question is : What will you do next? One 
simple rule covers a large part of the answer: 
On the second round of any plain suit, play 
the best card if you hold it. This applies 
equally to ist, 2nd, and 3rd hands, of course each 
winning as cheaply as possible. For instance; if 
you hold K 7 4 2, and the A fell the first round, 
no matter what your position, play your K on 
the second round if the others follow suit. With 
K O J 2, if A fell first round, play the J on second 
round, winning as cheaply as possible. With K 
Q 2, play the Q. Both yours are the best. This 
play is based on the apprehension that the suit 
may not go round three times. 

But when you are to lead the second round of 
a suit, in which you led and won the first round, 
you may have several cards, all of which are the 
best. With which should you go on? As in the 



SECOND ROUND. 



39 



previous instructions, keep on the table a sorted 
pack from which to take the various combinations 
of cards here given. I may repeat, that if you 
read this book without the cards in your hand, 
you. will simply waste your time. You may 
have theories to the contrary ; but I am stating a 
fact learned from long experience, and before facts 
all theories must give way. 

FOLLOWING KING. 

Take any suit, say clubs, and give yourself the 
A K Q J 10. In the first round you led the 
King; three small clubs fell. With which card 
shall you go on? Any one of the four cards re- 
maining in your hand is just as good as the A. 
You can play any one of them and still be fol- 
lowing the rule. Which one shall it be, and 
why? 

As it is a matter of indifference to you, the 
person whose interest should be considered is your 
partner. He is saying to himself: u Partner led 
a K on the first round, which he might have 
done from any one of eleven different combina- 
tions. His winning the trick reduces them to 
eight that contain an A. Which one of the eight 
is it? By his first lead he told me he had one 
of eight things out of thirty-two possibilities. By 
his second lead can he not tell me which one of 
those eight he holds? " 



4-0 FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL. 

He can indeed ; and with such accuracy that he 
might as well lay his cards, face up, on the table. 
That is Whist 

Lay out on the table from the four sorted suits, 
the four following combinations : — 

No. i. A K Q J 10 

No. 2. A K Q J 6 

No. 3. A K Q 10 2 

No. 4. A K Q 4 2 

Taking these one at a time into your hand, first 
play the King, which is led in plain suits. These 
suits being of the same length, and length not 
being indicated by a K lead, you can only indicate 
their strength by your next lead. This strength 
lies in the leiigth of the sequence they contain. 

In Whist, a "Sequence " is a series of two or 
more cards, next in value to each other, such as 
J 10 — J Q K — K A. Each of these four hands 
contains a sequence. 

With a view to your partner's information, select 
a different card to lead from each combination 
on the second round. 

For the sake of regularity in doing so, follow 
this rule : — 

Make the long jump for the long sequence; 
the short jump for the short sequence. None 
of the ' ' books - ' formulate this rule ; but all good 
players unconsciously follow it. To illustrate : 

In No. 1 continue with the 10; the longest jump 



FOLLOWING KING. 



41 



you can make; because the longest sequence of 
high cards you can hold. 

In No. 2 continue with the J, a little shorter 
jump ; informing partner that your sequence ends 
there, and 'that you have not the 10. 

Nos. 3 and 4, the Q. This tells him you have 
not the J. 

In each of these cases your partner understands 
your hand perfectly. He knows you have the Ace ; 
because your King won ; and he assumes that you 
know enough about Whist to go on with the best 
card of the suit on the second round. Then, if 
you go on with the 10, having the Ace in your 
hand, the 10 must be as good as the Ace. In other 
words, you have also the Q and the J. 

Now change the combinations on the table to 
the four following: — 

No. 1. a K j 10 5 

No. 2. A K J 4 3 

No. 3. A K 10 6 2 

No. 4. A K 6 5 3 

In these the Q is missing. You cannot run the 
risk of her taking a trick adversely; but must 
follow the rule— " on second round of the suit, play 
the best card" — the A. The information to your 
partner is: "I have not the Q"; for we have just 
seen that A does not follow K when Q is present. 

Now lay out the two following combinations : — 

K Q 10 5 3 K Q 7 5 2 

If your K won the first found, it is evident that 



42 



FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL. 



your partner should hold the A ; continue with 
your original fourth-best, the 5, in each of these 
hands, and let him take the trick. But if your 
K was taken by the A on the first round, your O 
became the best, and should be played on the 
next round of the suit. The adverse A winning 
your K, told partner that you held Q. 
Now lay out the three following : — 

KQJ10 K Q J 2 K Q J 

With the first of these, having the long sequence, 
you make the long jump, after winning with the 
King, down to the 10; informing partner that you 
hold both Q and J, but no small cards. With the 
other two combinations you can inform your part- 
ner as to the length of the suit, by following the 
the same principle : — Make the long jump for 
the long suit; the short jump for the short 
suit. Whether your K won or not; if you had 
only three cards, K Q J, make the short jump to 
the Q ; if you had four cards, the long jump to 
the J. (With five cards in suit, J is led first, you 
remember.) If your partner holds A; or if it won 
your K adversely, he knows you have Q. Con- 
tinuing with Q or J tells him you have J also; 
continuing with your fourth best, that you have 
not the J ; just as with A K, no Q. 

For Practice, deal a number of hands from 
the 28 card practice pack, and pick out all the 



FOLLOWING KING. 



43 



K leads, noting carefully the card that should 
follow on second round. 

For examples of second round of K leads see A's 
hands in games No. 2, 4, 6, 9, 30, 31, 32, of the 
Self- Playing Cards, First Series. 

On next page you will find the entire system 
of long and short jumps in the King Leads. 



THB KING LEADS. 





Second l^ound. 
• 


• • 








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• 




e © 


•r 
















* * 

4- * 




• 


© • 






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<> 




• • 


• 








S? 












<? s? 




s? 










• • 




















• 










MB. 




*A « 




Iff 




❖ * 

4- * 




• 






































9 






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<> 
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The jump is from one Dot • to two Dots • • 



FOLLOWING ACE. 



Lay oat the following four combinations, and 
take them one at a time into your hand, as you 
did the King leads: — 

No. i. A Q J io 2 I No. 3. A Q J 3 
No. 2. A Q J 4 2 I No. 4. A Q J 

Having first led the Ace from any of these hands, 
two things are to be kept in view ; to force the K 
out of your way, leaving you with the command 
of your suit ; and to let your partner know what 
your suit consists of. In each of these hands you 
have a sequence (see page 38), any card of which 
will either force the K or win the trick. With 
a view to the other objedl, partner's information, 
sele<5t, as before, a different card in each case, 
and follow the same rule of long and short jumps. 
In No. 1, the long jump will be (from the 
A of course, which was led first) to the 10. In 
No. 2, as you have four cards left, make the long 
jump, to the J. In No. 3 or 4, having only two 
or three cards left, make the shortest jump, to the 
Q. Any of these second leads will force the K, 
and each conveys different information to partner. 

Now lay out the following: — 

No. 1. A Q 10 4 2 No. 4. A J 8 4 3 

No. 2. A Q 6 4 2 No. 5. A 10 7 4 2 

No. 3. A J 10 4 3 No. 6. A 9 7 4 2 

In these you cannot be sure of forcing the K 



4 6 



FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL. 



and at the same time clearing your suit. If you 
lead the Q from No. i, and it forces the K, the 
J still commands your 10. If you lead the 10 the 
J might win it, and the K be still against your 
Q. You cannot clear the others any better. In 
any of these to lead the Q, J, or 10, would be to 
throw it away. Turn to page 38, and read that 
rule again. Whoever holds the K will play it, no 
matter what you lead ; because this is the second 
round of the suit (unless he has Q also, and 
plays that; which would indicate he holds K). 
Your best play, then, is a small card. You re- 
member, when you had no high card combination 
to begin with, you led your fourth-best. Having 
now no high card combination to go on with, lead 
your fourth-best; that is, the card that was the 
fourth before you led your A. In all the hands on 
the table, this card is the 4. No matter how many 
of the suit you hold, adhere to this rule, which we 
shall find universal: — 

When you do not follow a high card led 
with another high card, lead your fourth- 
best. 

It accomplishes both objedls: forces the high 
cards against your suit, and informs your partner 
that two of the cards remaining in your hand are 
larger than the one led; but not large enough to 
form any of the regular high-card combinations. 

For Practice, give yourself several hands from 



FOLLOWING ACE. 



47 



the 28 card pradtice pack. Pick out the A and 
K leads, giving special attention to the second 
card to be led in each. 

For examples of second round of A leads, see 
games No. 1, 17, 18, 19, 27, and 40, Self-Playing 
Cards, First Series. 



FOLLOWING QUMBN. 

Lay these out on the table: — 

Q j 10 4 2 Q J 10 5 

Leading Queen tells your partner that you hold 
J and 10. You can inform him of the number of 
small cards in your suit by making the short jump, 
to the J, for four cards only in suit ; the long jump, 
to the 10, for five or more. If your Q won, con- 
tinue as usual ; for partner must have A, and 4th 
hand cannot have K. If 2nd hand has K, and 
plays it on your second lead, partner will take it. 
If not, partner will let your J or 10 win the second 
round, and will still hold A over the adverse K. 

On page 48, you will find the system of long 
and short jumps in the Ace and Queen leads. 



ACE AND QUEEN IE ADS. 
Second J^ound. 




FOLLOWING JACK. 



L,ay out the following : — 

KQJ102 KQJ432 KQJ62 

Having five or more in suit, headed by the se- 
quence of K Q J, you lead the J first. In the first 
of the above combinations you go down to the 
bottom of the sequence, the long jump, to the 10, 
just as you did with K Q J 10, and no small cards. 
Your leading Jack first indicated that you had five 
in suit. The other two combinations are excep- 
tions to the rule on the second round, as you 
remember they were on the first. For the long 
suit of more thct7t five, you jump only to the 
Queen ; for five only, to the King. In either case, 
continuing with the Q or K, informs your partner 
that you have not the 10. I may say that if the 
Ace won your Jack adversely the first round, and 
the suit is not led again for a few rounds, it is better 
to go on with the King in every case, that being 
the best card of the suit ; for fear your partner 
might fail to see the meaning of the Queen, and 
might trump it. 



FOLLOWING TEN. 



Take into your hand the following combination : 
K j 10 6 3 

Having led the io,. everything depends on your 

E 



50 FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL. 

ability to infer where the higher cards lie. If your 
10 has won, follow with your fourth-best, the 6, 
as your partner must have the Q at least, perhaps 
both the Q and the A. If the 10 forced the A, 
your King became the best card of the suit, and 
should be led on the second round. If your 10 
was won by the Q, you remain with the 2nd and 
3rd best, either of which will force the A and leave 
you in command of the suit with the other. 



FOLLOWING FOURTH-BEST. 



It is not to be supposed that you will win the 
trick when you lead a small card ; but when you 
get the lead again you should go on with the best 
card of the suit if you hold it. Lay out : — 
A754 K942 QJ32 

In the first of these you led the 4, and on the 
second round you must play the best card, the 
Ace. In the second, if the Ace won the first 
round, your K is the best and must be led on the 
second round. In the third, if either the A or the 
K won the first round, you force the other by 
leading your Q, and remain with the command. 
If this Q wins, your partner may easily be in- 
ferred to hold the higher card. 

When you have no high card with which to 
follow a fourth-best, your play will be guided by 
inference, which we shall consider later. 



FOLLOWING FORCED LEADS. 



If your first lead won, such as Q led from Q J 
x, you continue with the next highest, on the 
principle of a very short jump for a very short 
suit. 

For Practice, give yourself a few hands from 
the full pack of 52 cards, noting all the leads 
for both first round and second. 

For examples in Self-Playing Cards (First Series) 
of second round of Q leads, see A's hand, games 
No. 7 and 16; of J leads, games No. 10, 12, and 
26; of Fourth-best leads, games 5, 8, 11, 13, 15, 
20, 21, 22, 23, 29, 33, 35, and 37; and of Forced 
leads, see A's hand, game 3. 

Igp You should repeatedly practise at any odd 
moments by taking hands from the pack at random, 
noting the first and seco7id card to lead from each 
combination, until you become au fait in all the 
leads. Nothing is more important. 



PLAY OF THE THIRD HAND. 



We shall now consider a very important part of 
Whist — the play of the 3rd hand on his partner's 
lead in the second round of the suit. 

You have already had practice in estimating the 
hand by the first card led. If you have made an 



52 



FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL. 



effort to compare it with those of the same suit 
in your own hand, you will not easily forget what 
suit it was that your partner led, and so declared 
as his best. Some persons, to assist their memory, 
always place trumps to the left; partner's opening 
suit next them; and the right-hand adversary's 
suit to the extreme right. 

As we have already seen, the great point with 
the 3rd hand is to watch partner's suit, and assist 
in establishing it; either by forcing out the com- 
manding cards held by the adversaries, or by 
getting rid of those he holds himself. 

This last point is sadly neglected, even by the 
best IVh ist- Players. 

To do this intelligently the 3rd hand must watch 
his partner's leads, the cards played by the ad- 
versaries, and his own hand ; and must try to infer 
as nearly as possible what his partner still has of 
the suit. He must then adapt his play to the 
circumstances of the case. This requires only a 
thorough knowledge of the leads, and a little 
common sense. 

We are about to consider suits that are, and that 
remain, your partner's. You remember, as pre- 
viously told, that if you proved stronger than he, 
the suit became yours. These cases are not 
considered here. 

In the following exercises, I have indicated, at 
the beginning of each paragraph, the exa6l com- 



PLAY OF THE THIRD HAND. 53 



bination of cards that you are to take from the 
sorted suits on the table, and which you ought 
to hold in your hand, as if you were playing a 
game. Then I give the cards of the same suit 
supposed to be played by the 2nd and 4th hands, 
including of course your own. I advise you to 
change the suit occasionally, that your eyes may 
be equally accustomed to the fall of the cards in 
any suit. 

N.B. — It is imperative that you should take 
from the pack the cards indicated as those played 
by the others, and lay them in the middle of the 
table. You must study, not so much the words 
of this book, as the cards on the table, as they 
are supposed to have been played. Remember 
you are Third Hand, and the lead comes from, 
your partner, who sits opposite you. 

At first you may leave both first and second 
rounds of the suit exposed face up on the table. 
After you have been over these exercises once, I 
advise you to go over them again, turning the 
first round face down, before you proceed with the 
second round. This will require you to observe 
carefully the cards played in the first trick, and 
will greatly improve your so-called " Whist- 
memory." 

There is no such thing as Whist-memory ; the 
trouble is, simply that some persons do not look at 
the cards that are played, and do not know why 



54 



FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL. 



they are played. Of course they cannot remember 
things they never saw or understood. You will 
never remember how many chairs there are in a 
room unless you count them. The same is true of 
trumps played; if you don't count, you cannot 
remember them. 

In going over these exercises, do not read my 
inferences until you have done your best to make 
your own. Do not look at the card / say you 
should play on the second round, until you have 
selected one yourself. Do not hurry ; do not 
worry ; you have now neither partner nor oppo- 
nents to find fault with you for being somewhat 
slow at first. After a little practice, you will be 
able to draw these inferences with wonderful facility 
the moment the cards fall upon the table ; a result 
which otherwise is possible only after many years 
of such practice as is afforded in the hurry and 
confusion of actual play. 

Seat yourself at a table with plenty of space on 
it ; the book to your left. Sort the 52 card pack 
into suits, the suits in order, and keep each suit 
in a separate pile on the opposite side of the table, 
ready for use. 

1. Always begin by getting out the hand in- 
dicated in the margin. 2. Place the cards of the 
first trick, and note your inferences, comparing the 
cards on the table with your own hand, and using 



INFERENCES. 



55 



your knowledge of the leads. 3. Place the two 
cards, one led by partner, one played by second 
hand on the second round of the suit, and think 
what card you will play, and why. 4. Look at 
what / say you should play, and why ; then at 
what 4th hand plays to the second round. Draw 
your own inferences before you look at those given 
by me. 

Let us begin with: — 

K43. A led; 5 2nd; 3 yours; 6 4th. Then, 
Q led ; 8 2nd ; partner declares only four cards in 
suit, as shown by his leads, A Q. He has not the 
10, or he would have jumped down the sequence to 
it. As no one can play the 2, he evidently remains 
with the J and 2. As one of the opponents must 
have the 10, perhaps guarded, you cannot risk 
playing your K to unblock ; you play the 4 ; and 
4th hand plays the 7. The position of 9 and 10 
is uncertain. 

K 10 3. A led ; 5 2nd ; 3 yours ; 4 4th. Then, 
Q led ; 8 2nd ; (remember, after placing the cards, 
not to read what follows until you have exhausted 
your own inferences; draw every inference possible). 
Play your 10, keeping the K, so that partner may 
know you have it. 4th hand plays the 6, so you 
know he has the 7 at least, and partner has only 
the J and 2. If 4th hand holds both 7 and 9, 
your K will be wanted to save the fourth trick. 

K 7 4 3. A led ; 2 2nd ; 4 yours ; 5 4th. Then, 



56 



FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL. 



J led ; 8 2nd ; partner has Q x hh x left. You 
kept the lowest of four exactly when A led. You 
now play the 7, and the 4th hand trumps. This 
marks the 6 and 9 in your partner's hand; and 
the 10 in 2nd hand. 

K 10 3. A led; 4 2nd; 3 yours ; 2 4th. Then, 
J led; 5 2nd; partner declares Q x kh x still in 
his hand; your K and 10 are of equal value; but 
the K will block the suit, the 10 will not; so take 
this J with your K. 4th hand plays the 9 ; he 
has no more. 2nd hand cannot have more than 
one left, if any. 

K 4 3. A led; 6 2nd; 3 yours; 7 4th. Then, 
J led ; 8 2nd ; partner declares Q x h x in hand. 
Your K will block his suit; play it on his J, and 
keep your 4. 4th hand plays 9. One of the 
adversaries has no more, the other has the 10 
single, and partner has Q 5 and 2. 

K 4 3. A led; 5 2nd; 3 yours; 6 4th. Then, 
10 led; the 2nd trumps. Play your K just the 
same. Partner knows you must have the 4, as 
it is not played. By leading the 10, the spots 
on which can be counted, he informs you that 
(11 — 10=1) there is only one card against him 
higher than the 10; and he wants it out of his 
way. 4th hand plays the 7, and may have the 
9, perhaps the 8 also. Partner has the 2. 

K 7 4 3. A led ; 2 2nd ; 4 yours ; 5 4th. Then, 
10 led; 8 2nd. You play your 7 on the 10; be- 



INFERENCES. 



57 



cause you still have the 3 to put partner in with. 
The 4th hand trumps. Partner has the 6. 

K 4 3. A led ; 5 2nd ; 3 yours ; 6 4th. Then, 
7 led ; 10 2nd. Partner continued with his fourth- 
best. You know he has the 2 only below the 7 
led ; so he had exactly five cards in suit originally. 
There are still two cards out against his hand ; 
11 — 7=4; the 10 is played, you have the K, the 
adversaries have the other two. Here you must 
follow the rule: — u second round, best card of the 
suit if you hold it. ' ' Play your K ; 4th hand plays 
J ; one adversary has no more. 

Q 4 2. A led ; 6 2nd ; 2 yours ; 5 4th. Then, 
9 led ; 7 2nd ; partner has announced five cards in 
suit. You know he has the 3 ; and two cards 
(11 — 9 = 2) are out against him. One of these, the 
Q, you hold, the other must be the K ; because 
K is never in a hand from which A is led. If 
2nd hand had held it, he would have played it on 
this (the second) round. So 4th hand must hold 
it, and if you play the Q of course you will lose 
it. But you will lose the trick in any case, and 
if you donH play the Q it will block your part- 
ner's suit. You know positively, by deducting 
9 from 11 that the only card out against your 
partner is the K ; 4th hand has it, and will take 
the trick no matter what you play. Therefore 
unblock by playing your Q, and keeping your 4. 
4th hand plays the K. The position of the 8 



58 FOSTERS WHIST MANUAL. 

only is unknown to you. 

Qio 2. A led ; 9 2nd ; 2 yours ; 3 4th. Then, 
7 led; K 2nd; partner had a suit of five; n — 7=4 
against him. Two of these you hold, the other 
two have been played by 2nd hand. Your Q 
blocks his suit; your 10 does not; so play the Q. 
4th hand plays the 5. 2nd hand has no more. 
Partner holds the J, 8 and 4; the 6 is with 4th 
hand, or with your partner. 

Let us now examine a few cases where you held 
exactly foicr of the suit, and kept your smallest on 
the first round, when partner led A. If you kept 
your smallest in the first round, you must still 
keep it in the second. If you had originally 10, 
8, 4, 2, and to A led by partner you played the 
4, you must now, second round, play the 8 or 10, 
so as not to conflidl with an artifice known as the 
( 1 call for trumps, ' 1 which will be explained later. 

K QJ 2. A led ; 8 2nd ; J yours ; 3 4th. Then, 
6 led ; 2nd hand tnt?nps. Partner had at least five 
in suit; 11 — 6=5 against him; you hold three, 
one (the 8) is played; play your Q to the 2nd 
round; your K will take the single card still 
against your partner, and the 2 will prevent your 
blocking the suit. 

8643. A led ; 7 2nd ; 4 yours ; 9 4th. Then, 
J led; K 2nd; partner's lead declares Q x i-h x 
still in hand. He has the 5 and 2. Had you 
played your 3 to the first round and the 4 now, 



INFERENCES. 



59 



his suit would be blocked ; but by now playing 
the 6, your 3 will put him in, after the 8 is played 
on his Q. 4th hand plays 10; adversaries have 
no more. This shows the importance of playing 
i c bad hands ' ' carefully. 

8643. A led; 5 2nd; 4 yours; 7 4th. Then, 
9 led ; K 2nd ; you play, second round, the 6 ; 4th 
hand the J ; and now you know, K and J having 
been played, that partner's suit is established, for 
these two (11—9=2) were the only ones out against 
him. He has the Q, 10, and 2. The adversaries 
have no more of the suit. 

I may remark that even if your four cards ex- 
actly are of the same practical value, such as Q 
J 10 9, follow the same principle; play 10, then 
J to partner's A led; always keeping the lowest 
of four exadlly. Nothing is lost by so doing, and 
it may afford him very valuable information. 

If the 2nd hand trumps your partner's A on the 
first round, you must use some judgment in your 
play. For example: — 

Q 10 8 2. A led ; 2nd, trumps. You will have 
plenty of time to unblock with your high cards 
after you see your partner's fourth-best, and can 
estimate his hand. In this case play your lowest, 
the 2, and wait. 

J to 3 2. K led ; A 2nd ; 2 yours ; 7 4th. Then, 
Q led ; 9 2nd. We have seen that K led gives 
little information. As to length of suit it gives 



60 Foster's whist manual. 

none; but the cards played by others may tell us 
a great deal if we observe them, and may put us 
on our guard to unblock a long suit. Here, as 
soon as 2nd hand played the 9 to the second round, 
you knew partner held the three missing small 
cards ; these are the 6, 5 and 4. So you play your 
10 to the 2nd round, keeping your 3 to lead up to 
partner's small cards; otherwise your J and 10 
would block his suit. 

A K 6 3. Q led ; 7 2nd ; 2 yours ; 5 4th. Then, 
io led ; 9 2nd. With one or more honors in four 
cards exactly you do not keep the lowest to any- 
thing but A led ; but you must be ready to unblock 
on the second round if necessary. Partner here 
declares J x — x still in his hand. You must play 
your K on his 10, otherwise you block his five- 
card suit. 4th hand plays the 8 ; and you know 
the adversaries have no more, and partner's small 
ones are 4 3. 

i 75 4. Q led ; 3 2nd ; 4 yours ; K 4th. When 
partner gets the lead again, he continues with the 
10; 6 2nd. Partner declares J x — x still in hand; 
by playing your 5 on the second round, you still 
have the 7 to lead to him, and do not block his 
suit. Partner knows you have the A as soon as 
the 4th hand trumps the second round, and he 
knows you would have played it, if you had not 
had still a small card with it in your hand. For 
instance, if you had held : — 



INFERENCES. 



61 



A 5 4. Q led ; 3 2nd ; 4 yours ; K 4th. Then, 
10 led; 7 2nd. Your play second round is the A, 
although you know the 10 will win the trick. 
Partner has declared J x — x in hand. Keep your 
5, which will not block his suit. 4th hand plays 
the 8. One of the adversaries has the 9, and 
partner's two small cards are 6 and 2. 

A 8 4 2. Q led ; K 2nd ; A yours ; 6 4th. Then, 
10 led; the 2nd hand trumps. On the first trick 
you could locate 5 and 3 in partner's hand; for, 
as we shall presently see, you w r ould know, in 
adlual play, that 2nd hand had no more, the 
moment he played the K. Now your only chance 
to unblock partner's suit is to keep your 2, and 
play your 4 to the second round. 4th hand plays 
the 7, and still has the 9. 

A 7 4. J led ; 6 2nd ; 4 yours ; 5 4th. Then, K 
led; 10 2nd. Partner holds the 3 and 2. The 
K following J declares only five in suit ; so the 
9 is in 4th hand with the 8. 2nd hand has no 
more. You play your A to unblock ; and 4th hand 
plays the 8. 

If the following occurs you must not be too 
hasty in unblocking: 

i 7 4» J led ; 6 2nd ; 4 yours ; 5 4th. Then, K 
led; the 2nd hand trumps. Cavendish says you 
"may" lose a trick in such cases, "but the risk 
ought to be run." In this case there is no may 
about it, except that you ' ' may ' ' be careless. 



62 



FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL. 



Study these cards. Partner, by following J with 
K, declares Q and only two others, which you know 
are the 3 and 2. You also know that 4th hand 
holds the 8, 9 and 10, and will stop your partner's 
suit if you give up your A. Play the 7 in such 
a case. 

A 7 4. J led ; 6 2nd ; 4 yours ; 2 4th. Then, Q 
led; 9 2nd. Partner declares six in suit; they are 
the 8, 5 and 3. Whichever adversary holds the 10, 
it is unguarded. Play your A on the Q. 4th hand 
trumps. 

A 7 5 4. J led ; 6 2nd ; 4 yours ; 2 4th. Then, 
K led; 9 2nd. You play the 5, and 4th hand 
trumps. Then you know partner holds Q 8 and 
3; the 10 is on your right. 

With any four small cards exactly, and no honor, 
you keep your lowest even on Q, J or 10 led. 
Whether the cards block the suit or not, you must 
play a uniform game. It informs your partner, 

10 9 8 3. J led ; A 2nd ; 8 yours ; 2 4th. Then, 
K led ; the 2nd hand trumps. You know partner 
has Q x x left, and 4th hand holds the other two. 
You play the 9 ; 4th hand the 6 ; partner has 5, 4. 

A Q8 2. 10 led ; 5 2nd ; 2 yours ; 4 4th. Then, 
3 led ; 6 2nd. You have already learned that with 
AQ xx you should play a small card to 10 led 
in the first round. The 10 having won the first 
round, you know your Q will win this, so play it. 
Partner continuing with the 3 shows only four in 



INFERENCES. 



63 



suit originally ; K J left. Your 8 will put him in 
if you keep it. 4th hand plays the 7 ; and you 
know one adversary has the 9. If partner had the 
9 he would have led it on second round, because 
it would have been his original 4th best. 

A Q 2. 10 led; 5 2nd; 2 yours; 4 4th. Then, 
6 led; 8 2nd. The 6 following the 10 shows two 
still out against him (n — 6=5); one (the 8) is 
played ; two you hold. You must play your A, not 
the Q; or you block the suit. Partner can take 
your O with his K ; but the A would stop him 
effectually. The 4th hand plays the 7, and you 
know partner has 6, 3 ; one adversary the 9 single. 

These exercises apply to Plain Suits only. 
There is no possibility of blocking trumps; but such 
tallies may be useful to keep partner in the lead. 

The preceding exercises should be gone over 
several times, turning down the cards played to 
the first trick. You must try to remember them, 
and then lay out the cards for the second round, 
your partner's lead and 2nd hand's play. Then, 
draw all the inferences you can, before reading 
mine, or playing. 



RETURNING PARTNER'S SUITS. 



We shall, for the present, pass over the play of 
the 3rd hand on the return of his own suit by 
partner ; because any departure from the obvious 
course of winning the trick if he can, with the 
best if he holds it, but as cheaply as possible 
(see page 37), must be governed by considerations 
that are peculiar to "finessing" which will be 
discussed at a later stage. 

But we may now consider upon what principles 
the First Hand should return his partner's suit. 

Information may be conveyed by the mere fa6l 
of your either returning it at once, or opening 
your own suit first. 

It is a settled maxim that if you hold the be$t 
card of your partner's suit, you should lead 
it before opening your own ; because if you do not, 
he is justified in supposing you do not hold it ; 
and, thinking it against him, he may lose a trick 
by a speculative finesse. The theory is, that as 
it is the best of the suit, you will win the trick 
with it, and still having the lead, can then open 
your own suit. 

Therefore, in all cases where you have success- 
fully finessed the Q from AQh on your partner's 
first (or original) lead, at oiice lead the A in return. 
If the K was in 4th hand and won your Q, upon 



RETURNING PARTNER'S SUITS. - 65 

getting the lead again, at once lead the A of your 
partner's suit, before opening your own. 

Take into your hand one at a time, the -fol- 
lowing : — 

A K Q 2 A Q J 4 

AQJ10 I AQ64 

Supposing you won the first trick with the 10 
J or Q) what would you do? Open another suit, 
or return your partner's ; and if the latter, with 
what card? 

Some players holding A Q J, are so pleased at 
winning a trick with the J, that they will not 
return the A; but wait for partner to lead the suit 
again. This is bad play unless you are very strong 
in the suit, in which case it might be called your 
suit, and not his at all. 

With the Second and Third best of your 
partner's suit, you can help him thus: — 

QJ 10 3. 6 led ; 2 2nd ; 10 yours ; A 4th. You 
have now Q and J, which are the 2nd and 3rd best; 
(the K is best). By leading the Q, if you get the 
lead and return the suit, you do just what your 
partner would do, try to force out the K if it is 
against you. If partner has it, no harm is done, 
that being his long suit, he will pass your Q. 
Take another case. You have 

KJ10 3. 4 led; 5 2nd; K yours; A 4th. On 
leading back to partner, your J and 10 are 2nd 
and 3rd best (the Q is best ; so lead the J to him, 



66 



FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL. 



forcing the Q, if held adversely, and clearing the suit. 

One of the most important and imperative rules 
in Whist, is: If you hold only two more of 
your partner's suit, and lead to him in the 
second round, you must return the higher of 
the two cards. Take: — 

A 6 2. If 3 was led ; 5 2nd ; A yours ; 4 4th. 
Return the 6, not the 2. With K 6 2, whether 
your K wins or not, return the 6, not the 2. But 
with 

A 6 5 2. Suppose 4 led ; 7 2nd ; A yours ; 8 4th. 
In this case you have three cards left of the suit; 
therefore return the smallest, the 2. 

K 6 5 2. Suppose 4 led ; 7 2nd ; K yours ; A 4th. 
If you get the lead again, return the smallest of 
three remaining, the 2. If your K won the trick, 
do the same, return the 2. Take 

K J 2. Suppose 4 led ; 5 2nd ; K yours ; 3 4th. 
Having only two cards left, return the J, not the 
2. If A in 4th hand had won your K, you would 
return the J and keep the 2 when you led again. 
But if you had 

K J 4 2. Suppose 3 led ; 5 2nd ; K yours ; 8 
4th. Having three cards left, return the 2, not J. 

The correct returning of partner's suit is so im- 
portant that it would be well to go over all the 
thirty-two combinations given in the former part 
of this book (page 5), filling them up with small 
cards to suits of three, four or five, and consider 



RETURNING PARTNER'S SUITS. 67 



what card you would return, supposing your part- 
ner had led a small card, and you had won the 
trick. For instance : with K Q J 3 ; winning with 
your J, and holding 2nd and 3rd best, you would 
return the K. With J 10 9 2 ; if your 9 won, you 
return the 2 ; your J 10 are not the 2nd and 3rd 
best, as A K Q are not yet played. 

Many players, holding only a few small trumps, 
and wishing to make them win by 1 1 ruffing, ' ' 
will at once return their partner's suit if they 
have the lead and only one card of it. 

Be careful in such cases as this: — 

983. 2 led; 4 2nd; 8 yours; 7 4th. Your 
winning the trick with the 8 shows that 4th hand 
has nothing larger; and his playing the 7, that he 
has no more. Partner's lead of the 2 shows he 
had only four in suit, and no high combination. 
All the strength is on your right, and you should 
never lead up to a strong adverse hand. 
Do not return the suit. Leave it to partner to 
manage as he thinks best. 

You should return your partner's suit at once, 
if you hold the best of it; or, if you have no 
strength or combination of high cards in any other 
suit to lead yourself. Such hands as K x x x, or 
A x x x, are not combinations, nor % are they very 
strong suits. You can accomplish nothing by 
opening them ; and unless you can accomplish 
something in another suit, do not lead it ; but re- 



68 FOSTER'S WHIST MANJJAL. 

turn your partner's; 1 By so doing, you advise him 
at the outset not to depend on you for any suit 
of strength or importance. By leading your own 
suit first, you declare that you have not the best 
card of his suit (very important information) ; but 
that you are tolerably well off otherwise. 

But if you lead trumps instead of returning his 
suit, you say to him: u Never mind whether I 
have the best of your suit or not ; abandon your 
plans for the present, and help me to exhaust the 
trumps; for I have a great hand." 

As the proper management of your hand is very 
important when you have won a trick, but were 
not the original leader, I have thus formulated the 
order in which you should question your 
hand in deciding what you should do: — 
i st. Do I want the trumps out at once? 
2nd. Have I the best card of my partner's suit? 
3rd. Have I a pretty good suit of my own? 
4th. Can I do nothing better than return my 
partner's suit? 

Commit these questions to memory, and when 
you are playing, go down the scale, and the first 
affirmative answer your hand gives, lead accordingly. 

For Practice, give yourself a number of hands 
from the 52 card pack ; suppose in every hand that 
partner led a small card of some definite suit, say 
always Hearts; and determine how you would play 
your hand both in winning and returning the suit. 



THE TRUMP SUITS. 



The main point to be kept in view in handling 
the trump suits, is, that they cannot be trumped. 
In a plain suit, if you have five cards, some one 
is probably short, and if your hand contains, say 
A K, you should hasten to "make" them. The 
longer you keep them, the greater is the danger of 
their being trumped, as players weak in that suit 
will discard it. In trumps this danger is impos- 
sible. Your A, K will take two tricks with equal 
certainty at any stage of the hand. 

Trumps are chiefly useful for two purposes, 
ist, to lead, thereby exhausting them, so as to 
prevent any interference with your strong plain 
suits, which might otherwise be trumped. 2nd, 
to u ruff" or trump with ; either to stop an adverse 
winning card or lead, or to get the lead yourself. 
The first purpose is the more important, and it 
is usually well to lead trumps when they are your 
best suit ; or when you have at least five of them ; 
or when you have four, all very good ones. Some 
players always lead trumps from five. I have 
known very good players who led trumps from 
two only, when they had a very superior hand, 
and all suits well protected. 

Experience has taught me that leading trumps 
may depend much on the state of the nerves, 



7 o 



FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL. 



what you had for dinner; or your respedt or con- 
tempt for your opponents, especially the last. 

Many players who have great confidence in their 
skill in the management of the plain suits, will 
always lead the trumps first, if opposed to very 
weak players. 

It is entirely a matter of judgment, depending 
on the score, the rest of your hand, the turn-up 
trump, and such matters. But remember that if 
you have a poor hand in plain suits, this is no 
reason why your partner should not be strong. 
You may be told not to lead trumps even from 
five, if the rest of your hand is very bad. This 
does not justify misleading your partner by open- 
ing a miserably weak plain suit. If you are both 
weak, you cannot win tricks. Even if you had 
a chance for a cross ruff with your weak or small 
trumps, your adversaries, being strong, would im- 
mediately stop it. To handle trumps well requires 
judgment and long practice. 

It is generally considered wise to lead trumps 
if you have at least four of them and an estab- 
lished suit. For instance, if you have A K Q J 
of Spades and four trumps, your Spades are es- 
tablished without any playing; lead the trumps. 
If after two rounds of a plain suit you find it 
established in your hand, lead trumps from four. 

A suit is established when you can take all 
the remaining tricks in it, no matter by whom led. 



THE TRUMP SUIT. 7 1 

A great many examples of the proper manage- 
ment of trumps are given in the Self-Playing 
Cards. 



THE TRUMP IE ADS. 



L,ay out the following four combinations on the 
table :— 



9 
















s? s? 
<p <? 












A 




*2Sk 








A A 

A 
A A 




A A 
•?•» A 
A A 

















IK 









<c> 


















1 
















* 4 

4 4 



These come under the principle that A K of 
trumps must "make" in any case; so when you 
lead trumps from such combinations it may be 
well to lead the fourth-best card ; unless you are 
so anxious to exhaust trumps that you want to 
make sure of two or three rounds of them at once. 
In that case, lead K, then A, then 4th-best ; making 
sure of three rounds of trumps. By leading your 



72 



FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL. 



4th-best, when not particularly anxious to exhaust 
trumps, partner may make the Q, or 4th hand 
may be unable to win your partner's card. The 
strength or weakness of the various hands may 
thus be exposed in various ways, which could not 
occur if you led K, and everyone played his 
smallest and looked undismayed. 

Lay out the following four combinations : — 



o o 

0^0 



4. A 

4. of, 




<> 
o 





s? 










* 


* 









o 



9? 



Here, in plain suits, A is led ; because with so 
many in suit as five, it might be trumped second 
round. In trumps the A is good any time ; so you 
lead your fourth-best, (the 4 in each of these hands) 
and give your partner a chance. But as with A K 
and others, if you are very anxious to get trumps 
out at once, you must lead your A first and take 
no chances on your partner's strength. 



THE TRUMP LEADS. 



Lay out the following: — 



























































A A 




A 










* 










A*A 




A A 







These being trumps you need not waste your 
King in the attempt to force the command of your 
suit, unless you have the 10, which with the Q 
will form a tenace over the J. From the first of 
these, lead the fourth-best card, the 5, and you 
may afterwards make both your K and Q. From 
the second, having the 10, lead the K, as in plain 
suits. 

Lay out the following : — 



Xo, 1. 



No. 2. 



No. 3. 




74 



FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL. 



In these you are so strong that you can begin 
with a high card in all of them ; but they are not 
led like plain suits. In the plain suits you begin 
with the K, for if you began with a J or 10, and 
partner had none of the suit he might trump it. 
This cannot occur in leading trumps ; so in each 
of these hands you begin with the lowest of the 
sequence of high cards, in order that the adver- 
saries may not know exactly where the higher 
cards lie ; and in order to inform your partner of 
your exact strength. Lead the 10 from No. i; 
the J from No. 2 ; and the Q from Nos. 3 and 4. 

In all other combinations, such as A Q J hh : 
K J 10 h; &c. , the chief obje6l is to force out the 
cards against you, and leave you in "command" 
of the trump suit, so that you may make tricks 
in it. These are led just as in plain suits. 

For Practice, go over carefully, one at a time, 
in any order, all the 32 combinations given on 
p. 5, and accustom yourself to distinguish between 
the way the) 7 should be led in trumps and in plain 
suits ; or if it is the same lead in both cases, 
observe it, and why. 

Third Hand. The play of the 3rd hand on 
partner's lead in trumps does not differ from that 
in plain suits except on one point. You cannot 
block the trump suit. In all cases where the lowest 
card of four exa6lly was kept in plain suits you 
keep it also in trumps ; not to unblock however ; 



THE TRUMP LEADS. 



75 



but to inform your part7ter that you had at least 
four of the suit. This is called the "echo," and 
false cards played by adversaries are often exposed 
by it. 



The Continuation of Trumps. 



Looking again at the following combinations : — 



No. i. 


9 




? L 




t p I 

v i 








<? S? 

%V 
v <? 














No. 2. 


* 








; 




R 




* f * 
4. 4. 
4. 4. 














No. 3. 













<> v <> 






❖ 
















No. 4. 


in 






■ 




♦ * 
*** 




* ♦ 

* * 



From these you led originally the lowest of the 
sequence in trumps. Continue, in trumps only of 
course, with the next lowest in each instance. 
From No. 1, having led the 10, follow with the J. 
In No. 2 follow J with Q. (The old style in this 
combination was to follow J with A, needlessly 
affording information to your adversaries ; for so 
long as you do not play the A, they may credit 
your partner, or even each other with it.) 



76 



FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL. 



In all other combinations the trumps are con- 
tinued just as in plain suits. The lead with which 
to follow an original fourth-best depends on the 
cards that fall first round, and your ability to draw 
true inferences therefrom. 

The unblocking Exercises given on pp. 58-59 do 
not apply to trumps, because blocking is impos- 
sible; but the Exercise, p. 66, on returning partner's 
leads is of the greatest importance. 



THE PLAY OF THH SECOND HAND. 



To play Second-Hand well requires a thorough 
knowledge of the leads, so that you may be able 
to infer what cards are held by the adversary on 
your right; and also a knowledge of the play of 
the 3rd hand, so that you may know how he will 
play, after you, on certain cards led by his partner. 
The good old rule: u 2nd hand low," has long 
been a dead letter ; and in modern Whist the 
skilful playing of 2nd hand depends entirely upon 
adding a little common sense to a knowledge of 
the leads. 1 

It is your duty to prevent the adversaries from 
winning tricks too cheaply ; to be on your guard 
against what is termed 4 i underplay, n or by some 
persons, " railroading;" and to inform your partner 
as clearly as possible what he may expert of you 
when the suit is returned by the player 011 your 



PLAY OF THE SECOND HAND. 77 



left, who will probably lead it to his partner. 
Good 2nd hand play depends so largely upon 
inferences that we shall study them together. 



Plain Suits Only. 



A I,ed. It must be obvious that if A is led, 
you can only play your smallest card ; but before 
playing you should consider the cards of the same 
suit in your own hand, and try to infer from what 
it is led; If you hold Q or J, the leader has at 
least four small cards of the suit, and has not the 
King. 

K I/.ed. If K is led, and you have not the A, 
you of course play your smallest card. If you 
have the A you should at once take the K led. 
You may object that to play A on K at once gives 
up command of the suit to the adverse Q ; but if 
you pass the K, it wins the trick, and your A may 
afterwards be trumped. [Of course we are not 
discussing rare or curious hands in these instruc- 
tions, but the regular system of play.] 

In the following exercises I have indicated at 
the beginning of each paragraph, as before, the 
exa£t combination of cards that you are to take 
from the sorted pack. The card indicated as led 
by 1st hand, on which you, as 2nd hand, are to 
play, must in every instance be placed upon the 



78 



FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL,. 



table, as in previous exercises. After I have dis- 
cussed your play as 2nd hand, I give the cards 
played by 3rd and 4th hands, and these also you 
are to place upon the table. 

I must remind you again that if you read this 
book without the cards in your hand, you are 
simply wasting your time. 

gSgp Do not read the inferences upon the fall 
of these cards until you have thought out your own. 

A K 6 3. Q L,ed. Your first duty is to infer 
by looking at your own hand from what combi- 
nation the card played by 1st hand is led. In 
this case there is only one inference ; the leader 
has J 10 h. Looking now at your own hand, 
you remember that holding such a combination 
when 1st hand, you hastened to make your A and 
K, as it was unlikely that a suit would go round 
three times. The same reason is good here : take 
the Q with your K ; but do not be in a hurry to 
lead the A; for this is not your suit, but the ad- 
versaries' ; and it is a very strong point in Whist 
to keep the command of yonr opponent's 
suit as long as possible. Having played your K, 
notice carefully the cards that fall from 3rd and 
4th hands. If: — 3rd plays 3; 4th the 8; [Make 
your own inferences always before reading what 
follows these indications of the 3rd and 4th hands' 
play.] 3rd hand has only two more of the suit 
(if any) as he did not keep the lowest of four small 



PLAY OF THE SECOND HAND. 79 



cards. He cannot have an honor. He cannot 
have four more, unless his partner led from a 
three-card suit. Your partner 4th hand, has the 
9 or none left, and his 9 is larger than anything 
that 3rd hand holds. 

To show the importance of such inferences, I 
may suggest that if your hand were such that you 
would like to establish a cross ruff, you could now 
lead your A, and then- your small cards. If the 
leader had four in suit originally, his play on your 
A lead would show it. Should 2nd hand (player 
to your left) trump, your partner could overtrump. 
Such play of course depends on judgment. I only 
mention the value of these inferences as showing 
when such a plan is feasible. 

A 6 5 3. Q Led. It is.* always best to play 
the A if you hold it, to take an honor led ; but 
watch carefully the other cards. 3rd plays 2 ; 4th 
the 9. You infer that probably 3rd hand has only 
one or two of the suit left. If he held four, one 
must be an honor (the K), as he played the 2, 
(lowest of four is not kept if an honor is among 
them unless A is led, you remember). 4th hand 
holds no more if 3rd hand has the K ; otherwise 
4th hand (your partner) holds the K. In either 
case you note that partner will trump the next 
round, or win it with the K. 

K 7 6 2. Q Led. You play your 2 ; as you 
know A is never in a hand from which Q is led, 



8o 



FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL. 



so it must be in 3rd or in partner's hand. If in 
3rd it would be throwing away your K to play 
it; if in your partner's he will take the Q. This 
illustrates the principle: Never to attempt as 
2nd hand to take Q y J, or 10 led, with a 
single honor unless that honor is the A. 
3rd plays 9 ; 4th the 4. You can easily infer that 
3rd hand has the A, and no more of the suit. 
1st hand has the 3. As the leader wins this trick, 
he will probably lead again at once. If he con- 
tinues with the 3, his fourth best (as he knows 
his partner has A alone), you will know that he 
had only four in suit, and fourth hand (your 
partner) holds the 5 or 8. If leader continues 
with the 5 or 8, you can let your partner trump 
the third round, and still hold your K over ^the 
leader's 10 or J. This is a very important infer- 
ence ; because otherwise you might play your K on 
the third round, and thus give up the command. 

9863. Q Led. You can only play the 
lowest of your four cards. [I suppose it is un- 
necessary to say that only in your partner* s suits 
you keep the lowest of four exactly ; the obje6l 
being to unblock. When you are 2nd hand, on 
the contrary, your objedl is to block the leader's 
suits as much as possible.] 3rd plays 5; 4th -the 
4. You infer at once that A K and one siiiall 
one are in 3rd hand (see p. 60). This small one 
must be the 7, as the leader holds J, 10, ,2^_ and 



PLAY OF THE SECOND HAND. 8l 



you have all the other small cards. Your partner, 
the 4th hand, has no more, and you can lead the 
suit at any time with confidence that he will 
trump it. This is an example of 2nd hand being 
able to determine the place of every card in the 
suit the first time it is led. 



J I/ed. A great many tricks are lost by weak 
2nd hand players in attempting to win a J led. 

In our remarks on J leads, attention was called to 
the importance of remembering that u Ace is never 
in a hand from which Jack is led. ' ' Then it must 
be obvious that 2nd hand should not attempt to 
take J led, unless he holds the A ; for if he has it 
not, it is in 3rd or 4th hand. When you hold the 
A you should play it on J led, unless you have a 
tenace, which will be discussed later. 

10 g 8 3. J Led. You can do nothing but 
infer the lead is from K Q J x — x ; there is a faint 
hope that your 10 may block the suit on the 
fourth round. 

A 10 8 2. J Led. The leader has K Q x — x 
left. You play your A of course on the J led. 
3rd plays the 5 ; 4th the 9. You infer that the 
leader holds 4 and 3 ; partner has no more, and 
will trump the next round. If the leader follows 
with the K, showing only five in suit originally, 
you will know that 3rd hand has both 6 and 7, 
and your 10 will effectually block the suit if you 

G 



82 



Foster's whist manual. 



are careful not to lead it; but to let the leads 
come from your right hand. 

As the Jack is often a forced lead from a short 
suit, you will frequently be called upon to defend 
yourself. Jack is led from the weak suit to 
" strengthen " partner; that is, to allow 3rd hand 
to finesse by passing it, if he holds A, K, or Q. 
When you see from your own cards that it is a 
forced lead, you must protect yourself. 

A Q 8 2. J Led. You holding the Q know 
that J was not led from K Q J x — x. You play 
the A on the J, as the K must be in 3rd or 4th 
hand, and might win your Q. 3rd plays 10; 4th 
the 5 ; you now know the leader holds only the 
4 and 3, and your partner has the 5, 6, 7, and 9. 
You infer that the 3rd hand has the K or none. 
If he has it, he will win the next round ; if not, 
partner must have it, and will win that round 
unless 3rd hand trumps. In either case you will 
still hold over the leader; but if the suit be led 
the second time, you must not play your Q. 

K Q 6 2. J Led. If you play a small card 
and 3rd hand holds A x — x, he will let the J win, 
and you will be led through again. You must 
force the A at once, if it is in the 3rd hand, by 
playing your Q on the J led. This leaves you in 
command of the suit with the K. If 3rd plays 
4, 4th 10, you know your partner has A alone, 
and he will win the next round and trump the 



PlyAY OK THK SECOND HAND. 83 

third. So you remember not to play your K on 
the second round ; but to hold it and so retain the 
command of the leader's suit. 

K 7 6 2. J L,ed. You can only pass, and 
wait. 

Q 8 7 2. J L,ed. You can only pass, and 
wait; but notice the fall of the cards; suppose: — 
3rd plays A; 4th the 6; you can locate every card 
in the suit. 3rd hand has not the K, so partner 
has it, and with it the 9 and 10; for the leader 
has only two small cards, and his partner, winning 
his J led with A, has only one small card. (See 
p. 32, play of 3rd hand on partner's J led, when 
holding only Ax.) The three small cards that 
they hold between them are the 3, 4, and 5. 

jo I/ed. You infer that the leader has K J 10 
hh , or that the lead was forced. 

A 7 5 4. 10 Led. The 10 is not an honor, 
so you pass it and hold your A. 3rd hand plays 
the 3 ; 4th hand the 8. The leader holds K J and 
at least the 2 ; on your left is the Q ; and your 
partner has the 9, or none. 

K 7 6 2. 10 Led. Evidently a forced lead. 
You already know the rule not to attempt, when 
you are 2nd hand, to take any high card led with 
a single honor, unless your honor is the A. So 
you pass the 10 led, and 3rd plays J; 4th the A. 
You infer that 3rd hand has the Q alone, and was 
forced to play the J on his partner's 10. Your 



8 4 



FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL. 



partner has three out of the five small cards not 
accounted for, as the leader led from a short suit. 
On the next round you will play the best card of 
the suit (K) because 3rd hand will trump the third 
round, and will win the second round with the Q 
if you do not play your K. 

Here is an exceptional case: — 

Q 2. 10 Led. You cannot tell from what 
10 is led. Though this position is really a 4 finesse,' 
we must consider it under 2nd hand play, as it 
often occurs. Your only chance for a trick with 
your Q is that the leader held K J 10 hh ; and 
that your partner has the A, 4th hand. Suppose 
the cards fall : you play Q ; 3rd plays 4 ; 4th the 3. 
Now your partner still commands the adversaries' 
suit with his A ; and you should make two tricks 
in it, and trump the third round. Had you played 
your 2 on the 10 led; then 3rd the 4; 4th the A; 
the leader would hold entire command of the suit. 
His next lead, the K (best card), would catch your 
bare Q, and his J would be good. 

See Y's hand in game 36, Self-Players. 

For examples of 2nd hand play, see Y's hand 
in games 1 and 18 on Ace led. Games 2, 4, 6, 
9, and 30, on K led. Games 3 and 7, on Q led. 
Games 10 and 12, on J led. Games 14 and 34, 
on 10 led. 



Small Card I^ed. We have now reached the 



PLAY OF THE SECOND HAND. 85 

line that divides the expert from the amateur : the 
play of 2nd hand on a small card led. A great 
many tricks can be saved by a little careful 
inference before playing. 

In this exercise, as before, you keep on the table 
the sorted pack from which to seledl the cards 
indicated as played by the others. 

The rule previously given, to dedu6l from n 
the small card led, is not so useful to the adver- 
saries as to the ist and 3rd hands; because al- 
though you know the cards are not held by the 
leader, his partner may have them. But you 
should always make the deduction from 11, and 
look at your own hand before you play. 

Q 2. 9 Led. This card, being smaller than 
a 10, is the fourth-best. You infer that the leader 
did not hold any combination of high cards from 
which to lead. As you hold the Q, the only three 
cards he could hold larger than the 9 are the 
A J 10; for any other three would form a regular 
high card lead, such as: — A K J 9, A K 10 9, 
from which K would be led; or K J 10 9, from 
which 10 would be led. So a moment's reflection 
locates A J 10 in the leader's hand, and no more; 
for from five cards in suit, A (not fourth-best) is 
led. The K is against your Q 2 ; but as in the 
last exercise, your only chance is to play your Q, 
and trust that your partner has the K. Your O 
would be lost next round whether he has it or 



86 



FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL. 



not. As in the last exercise, if your partner holds 
the higher card, the K in this case, your Q will 
win, and if this K is well guarded, and he be not 
led through, he may make a trick with it. Take 

K 2. 9 Led. Your only chance is to play your 
K, which you know will win the first round. On 
the second round the original leader would catch 
it with his A. Take 

A K io 5- 8 Led. Many players on looking 
at their hand and finding both A and K, would 
blindly 4 1 follow the rule, ' ' as they call it, and play 
the K. But if you follow my rule, and deduct 8 
from ii, you will find the remainder (3 cards) all 
in your hand. You infer that on the principle 
of winning a trick as cheaply as possible, all three 
of your high cards being better than any held in 
that suit by 3rd hand or by your partner, you 
should play your 10, still holding your A K over 
the leader's Q J 9 h. Third hand plays the 2 ; 
4th the 6. Your partner has the 7 or no more 
of the suit. 

In a6lual play it is not possible to delay the 
game while you study what particular cards the 
leader holds, which is the method of the " books 
but anyone can in a moment deduct the spots on 
the card led from 11. It is of no importance to 
you what cards the leader holds, so that you know 
yours are better than any held by the 3rd hand, 
who plays after you. 



PLAY OF THK SECOND HAND. 87 

A K J 3. 8 Led. You dedudl 8 from 11, 
leaving 3. You hold all of them, and your J will 
win the trick. Leader had Q 10 9 8 h. 

In either of the foregoing cases had you played 
your K, every player at the table would know you 
had the A also, or no more; but if you play in 
the manner indicated, your partner is the only one 
that smiles and looks wise. The leader does not 
know whether you or your partner holds the A 
and K, either or both of them in one hand ; and 
3rd hand only knows that his partner does not 
hold both of them. 

K Qio 3. 8 Led. Your 10 will win the trick. 

A K Q 10. 7 Led. Your 10 will win the trick. 

If the low card led is such that you cannot be 
sure of winning the trick with a lower card than 
the best in your hand, you must then consider the 
best use to make of what you have ; keeping in 
view the double objedrt, to make tricks, and to re- 
tain command of the adversaries' suit as long as 
possible. 

We come now to consider what your play should 
be if the small card led is such as to give no in- 
formation about the cards remaining in the leader's 
hand, except that he had no combination from 
which to lead a high card. Your duty is to pre- 
vent the 3rd hand from winning the trick too 
cheaply ; and to baffle the adversaries in their 
attempts to establish the suit. 



88 



FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL 



It has been usual in all books on Whist, to 
treat the play of the 2nd hand on a small card 
led as if it were governed by a set of rules and 
maxims peculiar to itself. This is a fallacy. The 
only difference between the play of ist hand and 
2nd is, that the 2nd hand does not attempt to 
convey such accurate information as to the com- 
binations of cards that he holds in that suit. If 
the leads are thoroughly known, there is nothing 
new to learn in order to play well as 2nd hand, 
when a small card is led. How this fadt has so 
long escaped the notice of the many writers on 
Whist, I cannot imagine ; but a little attention 
will shew that the following rule holds good: — 

If you hold any combination from which 
yon would lead a high card, you must as 
2nd hand play one on a small card led. 

In the following exercises, let us suppose the 3 
to be the card led, which may be the lowest of 
four, or the fourth-best of five. 

Take one of your sorted suits, say clubs, and 
after placing the 3 of clubs on your right, take 
into your hand the following: — 

A K QJ 5. From this combination would you 
lead a high card? Yes, the King, the object being 
to inform your partner, and at the same time make 
as many tricks as possible with the combination 
you hold. As 2nd hand, however, you do not 
want to convey any information, but simply to 



PLAY OF THE SECOND HAND. 89 



make the tricks, and as you should always win 
as cheaply as possible, you play the Jack, not the 
King. You can use your judgment about leading 
the suit back. If you do so, you assume it as 
yours, and not the adversaries.' 

A K Q 5. With this combination you would 
lead a high card ; so as 2nd hand you play a high 
one; but winning the trick as cheaply as possible 
with the Queen. Use your judgment about leading 
the suit back. 

A K 5 4. With this combination you would 
lead a high card ; therefore as 2nd hand you play 
a high one, the King. It is better not to lead the 
suit back, but as long as possible retain the com- 
mand of the adverse suit with the Ace. 

K Q J 5. With this combination you would 
lead a high card, which must either win the trick 
or force the A, leaving the command of the suit 
in your own hand. You accomplish the same 
object as 2nd hand by playing the Jack. When 
you hold such strong combinations in your ad- 
versaries* suits, you must carefully watch the cards 
played by 3rd and 4th hands ; as 1st hand must 
have led from length of suit only, and some one 
must be short. In this case you play your J ; and 
then 3rd plays 7 ; 4th the 5. You can locate the 
suit at once. The leader holds the 2 ; but led the 
3, showing five cards in suit. He does not hold 
the A, or he would have led it from a five-card 



9° FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL. 

suit. Your J won, therefore your partner holds 
the A. 

K Q 5 4. With this combination you would 
lead a high card to force the command. As 2nd 
hand you do the same thing. Your Q must win 
the trick or force the A, leaving you in command 
of the adverse suit with the King. 

A K J 5. With this combination you would 
not lead the J or the 5 ; but one of your two 
highest cards ; for you could not expert the suit 
to go round three times. You follow the same 
plan in 2nd hand play ; do not run the risk of 
the Q taking the trick, but play your K. Do not 
lead the suit back, but hold your tenace over the 
Queen. 

A Q J 5. With this combination you would 
play a high card if leading. As 2nd hand you 
vary the play only by trying to take the trick as 
cheaply as possible, and at the same time to retain 
the command of the adverse suit. Therefore play 
the Jack ; holding the tenace over the King. 

A Tenace is the best and third-best of any suit. 
Its peculiarity is, that if you lead it you may win 
only one trick ; but if the suit is led up to you, 
you certainly make two. As this is important, we 
shall take an example. In your hand, the A and 
Q form a tenace. If a small card is led by the 
player on your left, you, having the last play on 
the trick, must make both the A and Q ; because 



PLAY OF THE SECOND HAND. 91 



if the K is played, the A will take it, your Q 
remaining the best of the suit. If the K is not 
played, your Q will take this trick, and your A 
the next one. 

K J 10 5. You are here in pretty much the 
same position as if you were trying to obtain com- 
mand of the suit by leading it and forcing out the 
higher cards. Your 10 is the best play. If 3rd 
hand plays the Q, your partner may hold the A. 
If 3rd hand plays A, your tenace over the Q is good 
for two tricks, and your K commands the adverse 
suit. 

Q J 10 5. With this combination you would 
play a high card, if leading. Try to win the trick 
as cheaply as possible, with the 10. 

4 Q 6 5 4. With this combination you would 
begin with a high card, because you have so many 
that the suit cannot go rouud three times. Here, 
as 2nd hand, you try to win the trick as cheaply 
as possible, with the Q, retaining the command 
with the A. 

A Q 5 4. With this combination you would 
not lead a high card, as you have only four in 
suit. Do not play a high card as 2nd hand. Pass, 
playing the 4, and holding the tenace over the 
King, if it is not played in the first round. 

A J 10 4. On the same principle, pass, playing 
the 4. If either K or Q wins the first round, you 
remain with the tenace over the other. With five 



9 2 



FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL 



in suit you still pass, as it is useless to play your 
10 while there are two cards that can win it. 
When you had A Q 5 in suit, there was only one 
card that could win the Q. 

J5T J 5 4. You would not lead one of your 
high cards. Pass. 

Q J 5 4. You would not lead a high card. 
Pass. 

There are only two exceptions to this rule ; one 
is when you hold Ace and four small cards. You 
would lead the A; but as 2nd hand, you try to 
retain command of the adverse suit as long as 
possible by passing. The other is with 

A Q to 5. With this hand, there being only 
only four in suit, you would not lead a high card ; 
but when you hold it 2nd hand, you have the 
chance to force the K by playing the Q, and 
still remain with a tenace over the J ; besides the 
chance of your finesse being successful against 
the one card that could win your Q. 



Second Hand's Play on Forced Leads. 



In the case of Forced leads, the 2nd hand is 
not governed by the rule I have laid down; for 
the reason, that forced leads are supposed to 
strengthen the suit in the hand of the leader's 
partner. Playing 2nd hand on adverse leads, you 



PLAY OK THE SECOND HAND. 93 



do not want to run the risk of strengthening the 
suit in the adversaries' hands, but to hold up the 
best cards as long as possible, in the hope of 
obstructing the suit so that they will fail to 
establish it. 

The one point still requiring attention, is where 
your suit is so short that you may lose your good 
cards if you are not careful. Let us confine our- 
selves to cases where a very small and uncom- 
municative card is led by ist hand, say always a 3. 

A Q 2. In this hand your short suit makes no 
difference; you play the 2, and so hold the tenace 
and the command of the suit. But if you hold 
A, O alone? You must play one of the two. Is it 
best to risk the Q, or to make sure of the trick 
with the A? The Q ; because you retain command 
of the suit, and your partner may still credit you 
with the A. If he has the K, he knows you will 
play the A or trump the next round. For the 
same reasons, holding only 

A J 10; you play the 10; but remember that 
you should rather have played a smaller card, if 
you had held one. Holding only 

A J. 3 Led. You play the J ; but with 

A J 2. 3 Led. Play your 2, just as you would 
play your lowest with four in suit. 

A 6 2. Play the smallest. With A and one, 
two, three, or four small ones, always keep the A 
to retain command of the adverse suit. 



94 



FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL. 



K J 2. 3 Led. Play the smallest card, just 
as with a four-card suit. 

K J to. 3 Led. Play the io as you did with 
four cards in the suit. Holding only 

K JT. 3 Led. Your best play is the J ; keeping 
the K in hope that A may fall on the first round. 
If A and Q are both in 3rd hand, you lose both 
your J and K no matter how you play. If Q is 
on your left and A on your right, you lose both 
by playing the J. But if partner has either A or 
Q, your K is good for a trick even if you lose 
your J. Holding only 

K 10. 3 Led. No matter what cards you hold 
with the K, if they are not in sequence with it 
(not the Q, or Q and J) you should in all cases 
keep the K. While there is here an even chance 
of your K winning the trick, it is still unwise to 
play it ; because it exposes your hand, and enables 
the player on your right to finesse against you 
with a small card when his partner returns the 
suit to him. Holding only 

Q 10. 3 Led. Here the same is true. Keep 
your Q if the other card or cards are not in 
sequence with it. 

J 4. 3 Led. Follow the same plan. It is a 
good rule, when you hold the single K, Q, or J, 
and only small cards with it, not to play the honor. 
Bnt you may have a sequence, and be short in 
the suit. We have seen that with a sequence of 



PLAY OF THE SECOND HAND. 



95 



K Q and others, the Q was played; because it 
forced the only card against the K, and left you 
in command of the suit. But with sequences such 
as Q J and others; J 10 and others, that would 
not force out all the higher cards, you play the 
small card 2nd hand. 

But if you have only one small card you must 
change your play. It is evident that the leader 
does not hold both A and K, as he leads a small 
card. If he holds one of them, and his partner the 
other, you must lose your J on the second round. 
If 3rd hand holds both, your J will be caught on 
the second round ; because you have only one small 
card to guard your J and Q. So it has been 
found best for 2nd hand to play the J in such 
cases; for it is lost any way unless partner holds 
either the A or the K. The advantage in playing 
it is that it may enable your partner to keep his 
high card if he holds one. For instance, if the 
cards fall this way: — 

Q J 3* 6 Led ; J yours; 3rd plays 9 ; 4th the 
4. You see the leader has the 2 ; so he had five 
in suit, and did not hold the A. As your J won, 
your partner has A. Third hand has the 10 or 
no more. Had you played your small card on 
the 6 led, the 9 would probably have forced your 
partner's A, and you would have lost the com- 
mand. On the third round the player on your 
left will trump. 



9 6 



FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL. 



J 10 2. 6 Led ; 10 yours ; 3rd plays 9 ; 4th 
the 5. The leader has both 4 and 3 ; he led 
from a suit of six cards. Third hand has no 
more of the suit, or he would have covered your 
10. If you give the cards on the table a little 
attention you will see that your partner must 
hold the A and Q or the A and K, and no more ; 
and 1st hand has the 7 and 8, with the Q or K. 

You should be on your guard to save your 
partner's hand in this way as much as possible ; 
even with cards that are apparently of no value 
you may be able to assist in blocking the adver- 
saries' suits. For instance : — 

10 4 3. 2 Led; 3 yours; 3rd plays Q; 4th 
the K. You infer that 3rd hand does not hold 
the J. The second round, 5 led. 10 yours, 3rd 
plays 7, 4th the 6. Your play of the 10 saved 
your partner's A, which he still holds over the J 
in 1st hand. See A's hand, at the fourth trick, 
game 20, Self-Players, First Series. 

We must consider a variation in the 2nd hand's 
play when he holds what is called a ^fonrchettey 

A Fourchette is a combination of two cards, 
the next above and below the one led. For in- 
stance : — 

J q 3 2. 10 Led. The lead is evidently a 
forced one; but you must play the J on the 10, 
so as to prevent 3rd hand from passing the 10 led. 
If you hold 



PLAY OF THE SECOND HAND. 97 



Q 10 2. J Led (forced). You play your Q, to 
prevent 3rd hand from passing. 

K J 4 2. Q Led (forced). You play your K, 
forcing the A, and leaving you in command of 
the suit. If this occurs : — 

K 21. Q Led. Although you know the leader 
does not hold the A, you should cover the Q led 
with your K ; for having only one guard to it, 
you must lose it if 3rd hand holds the A ; because 
he will pass his partner's Q led, and in the next 
round your K is gone. If your partner has the 
A no harm is done. This is often quite important 
towards the end of a hand ; because Q is then 
often led from A Q. This will be discussed in 
" Underplay." 

Play of the 2nd Hand on the Second Round. 



The eleven rule may be very useful to the 2nd 
hand on the second round of the suit, by enabling 
him to retain the command. 

On the second round of the suit, you play the 
best card if you hold it ; unless you can count 
that all the higher cards are with the leader. 
For instance: — 

K J 5 3. A led ; 3 yours ; 4 3rd ; 6 4th. Then 
9 led, which deducted from 11 leaves 2, both of 
which you hold; so you do not follow the rule as 
to playing the best card of the suit on the second 

H 



9 8 



FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL. 



round, but you play the J, retaining the command 
with the K. If you are careless, and play the K, 
you not only give up the command of the suit, 
but leave the player on your right with the tenace 
over you. 

K Q g 5. A led ; 5 yours ; 3 3rd ; 4 4th. Then 
8 led, which from 11 shows you that your 9 will 
win the trick, and still leave you with the entire 
command. Here you depart from the rule of 
playing the best card of the suit second round. 

K J 10 2. A led ; 2 yours ; 4 3rd ; 5 4th. Then 
8 led. Your 10 will not only win the trick, but 
leave you with the tenace over the original leader. 

In this case if you blindly follow the rule, and 
play the K on the second round, you do just 
what the leader wishes; you leave him with the 
command. 

K Q 9 5. A led ; 5 yours ; 3 3rd ; 8 4th. Then 
7 led. At first, not having the four cards higher 
than the one led, you might thoughtlessly play the 
Q ; but a card fell the first round, which, being 
higher than the one now led, can be counted, and 
makes the fourth card that the leader had against 
him originally. So you are still safe in playing 
your 9, retaining the command. 

K J 8 2. A led ; 2 yours ; 5 3rd ; 9 4th. Then 
7 led. As before, a card that can be counted fell 
first round, and the 8 is your play. In this case 
it is very important to retain your high cards, for 



PLAY OF THE SECOND HAND. 99 



they form a tenace over the leader's Q 10, and if he 
has the lead you make both your cards. Had you 
played the K on the second round, he would make 
both the other tricks, as he would hold the tenace 
over you. 

K Q 7 5- A led; 3 yours; 9 3rd; 10 4th. 
Then 6 led. Both the cards falling on the first 
round can be counted, and by playing your 7 you 
deceive the player on your left, w T ho will think 
that a very small trump will win the trick; 
whereas you know that your partner will over- 
trump him, and that you still have the command- 
ing K Q, over the leader's J 8 and others. 



The Second Hand's Play in Trumps. 



The difference between plain suits and trumps 
in the play of the 2nd hand, is chiefly due to the 
difference in the leads on which he has to play ; 
and to the fa6l that there is no fear of losing high 
cards by waiting. 

For the first point. You must not assume that 
because 1st hand leads a small card he has not 
both A and K ; nor because you know he has five 
in suit, that he has not the A ; for in trumps the 
high cards are not led from these combinations, 
unless the leader is anxious to secure two or three 
rounds of them immediately. 



IOO FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL. 

For the second point. You need not as 2nd 
hand be in any hurry to make your A and K if you 
hold them ; or to play your Q from K Q and others. 
These cards cannot be trumped, and will make 
equally well at any time during the hand. But 
as the leader so often conceals his strength, you 
must be on your guard not to allow the 3rd hand 
to win tricks in trumps too cheaply. 

A J 10 3. 2 Led. Suppose you played, as you 
would in plain suits, the 3 ; then 3rd plays 7 ; 4th 
the 5 ; you see that 1st hand has both K and Q, 
and your partner the 6 only, or no more ; 3rd hand 
has at least two more trumps, and you allowed 
him to win the trick too cheaply. With such a 
hand as this in trumps you must play the jo ; for 
if it forces either K or Q it leaves you with the 
tenace, and you make two tricks in the suit. 
Suppose 3rd plays K ; 4th the 5. Your J will win 
the next round, as 3rd hand has not the Q. 

A K Q 4. 5 Led. With such strength in your 
own hand you cannot afford to pass; but must 
play the lowest card of your head sequence, the 
Q ; if 3rd hand plays 7, 4th the 3, you infer that 
the 1st hand led from five in suit, as the 2 is 
marked in his hand. Your partner and 3rd hand 
have only two more trumps between them. Sup- 
pose you hold : — 

A K 6 2. 4 Led. Here you can afford to give 
your partner a chance to make a trick ; for even 



PLAY OF THE SECOND HAND. IOI 

if he fails to do so, you retain the command, and 
will learn much by the play of the 3rd hand, as 
to where the trumps lie. You play the 2. If 
3rd plays the 5, 4th the 9, the 3 is marked in 
the leader's hand, and 3rd hand has no more; so 
your partner holds two more trumps ; and as they 
are both higher than the 9, they are Q J, Q 10, 
or J 10. First hand has the 7 and 8. With this 
information you will play your 6 next round, 
unless 1st hand plays his Q. Had you played 
your K on the first round, and had the cards 
fallen in the same way, you would have had to 
play your A on the second round, not knowing 
but that the Q, J, or 10, or any two of them 
might be in 3rd hand. 

A Q 10 3. 2 Led. With this double tenace 
in trumps you can afford to risk the lower tenace 
by playing the 10. Many players do this in plain 
suits if they have a strong trump suit as a pro- 
tection. Suppose 3rd plays J ; 4th the 8. You 
know 1st hand has the K, and also two small cards. 
Your partner has the 9 or none. Unless the K 
comes out, you should play your 3 on the second 
round, and risk your partner having the 9; because 
if he has not the 9, each of the adversaries has as 
many trumps as you have. 

A Q 10 3. 7 Led. You play the 10; 3rd plays 
4; 4th the J. You know your partner has not 
the K; for the card led, 11 — 7=4, three of which 



102 FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL. 

you hold, and partner's J makes the fourth. The 
leader holds the K 9 8. If he holds the 2 also, 
he led from a five-card suit; but it is probable 
that 3rd hand is keeping the lowest of four small 
cards, which are the 6, 5, 4 and 2. You see that 
with a little attention you can locate almost every 
card in these hands. 

K Q 6 2. 5 Led. In trumps you do not play 
the Q if you have two or more small cards to guard 
your sequence ; because even if 3rd hand wins the 
first round with a 10 or J, and on his returning 
the suit, the A falls, you have a small card for 
each round, and your K and Q are then the best. 
There is no danger of your losing them; because 
they are trumps. Had they been K and Q of a 
plain suit, the third round would probably have 
been trumped, and you would not have made a 
trick in the suit. In this hand you play the 2, as 
you have two small cards to guard your sequence ; 
3rd plays J ; 4th the 4. This marks the A in the 
leader's hand; and the card led, 11 — 5=6, of 
which you hold three, and one, the J, has been 
played, leaving between 3rd hand and your partner 
two cards, both higher than your 6. Third hand's 
playing J says he has not the 10. This knowledge, 
and the exa6l location of the A, should enable you 
to save both your K and Q without any trouble. 

K Q 2. 6 Led. Here your only chance to 
make two tricks in the suit is that the A ma} 7 not 



PlyAY OF THK SKCOND HAND. IO3 

be in the 3rd hand, and that you may win the 
first round with your Q ; so you play it ; 3rd plays 
4; 4th the 8. You cannot tell whether your 
partner or the 1st hand holds the A ; but no matter 
who leads next round, you must make your K. 
Of course you must not lead trumps yourself. 
Had you played your 2, and 3rd the J ; 4th the 
8; the A would have been marked in the leader's 
hand; he would catch your K or Q next time, 
and you would have made only one trick in the 
suit. 

K Q 10 3. 4 Led. Your play is the Q; for 
if it finds A in 3rd hand your tenace is good for 
two tricks over the J. If not, and 3rd plays the 
5, 4th the 2, you still have the 3 to play on the 
A, if it comes out on the second round; which 
will leave your tenace unbroken. 

In trumps the turn-up card may alter your play. 
For instance : if A is turned up on your right, 
and you hold K and Q, you are sure of a trick 
if you play after the one who has the A turned 
up. This is too obvious to need examples. So 
if your partner has the K turned up, and you 
have Q J x there is no need to play one of your 
sequence ; partner's K will win the trick or force 
the A. 

If you have turned up an honor, and have only 
one small trump with it, you should as 2nd hand 
play the honor, if trumps are led through you ; 



104 FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL. 



because every one knows you have that honor, 
and the leader is probably trying to catch you 
napping. So if an honor is turned up to your 
right, and you have one smaller honor and only 
one small trump to guard it, you had better risk 
your honor at once ; for on the second round the 
card turned up to your right will catch it. If your 
partner has the A or K turned up, and you have 
only the Q x, let him make his A or K, when 
you play 2nd hand, and keep your Q. 

Either in trumps or plain suits if an honor is 
led, do not cover it 2nd hand unless you have the 
A. This has been explained in previous exercises. 
But late in the hand if you have only one honor 
and one small card when an honor is led, you 
should generally cover it. 

K 2. Q Led. Play your K, late in hand. 

Q 2. J Led. Play your Q, late in hand. 

J 2. io Led. Play your J, late in hand. 

By u late in hand" is meant when there are 
only a few more rounds to be played. 

The play of the 2nd hand on his own suit, when 
it is led back through him by the adversaries, is 
governed by the rule: "Best card, second round, 
if you hold it." Any departure from that is a 
finesse, and will be dealt with under that head. 

Numerous examples of careful 2nd hand play 
in trumps are given in the first series of Self- 
Players. 



THF) PLAY OF THF; FOURTH HAND. 



The objedt of the game being to make tricks, 
it goes without saying that the 4th hand, being 
the last player, should take the trick if he can. 
But it is of importance that he should win as 
cheaply as possible. Suppose that as 4th hand 
you hold 

J 10 9 2. 6 Led ; 2nd plays 5 ; 3rd 4. It is 
your play. Your 9 will win the trick as cheaply 
as possible. If you take it with your J or 10 you 
deceive your partner, who holds both A and Q ; 
for 6 (led) from 1 1 leaves 5 ; you hold three •, 
3rd hand can have no more. Had your partner 
held two honors in sequence he would have played 
one. Had the leader held them, or A to five in 
suit (declared by leading the 6 with the 3 in his 
hand) he would have led the honor. 

When 4th hand does not win a trick if he can, 
is a part of Underplay, and will be discussed under 
that head. 

It is often very important that the 4th hand 
should infer where the command of a suit lies after 
it has been led twice. There is one inference that 
is invariable. If one adversary plays A or K, and 
on the return of the suit his partner plays the 
other, your partner has the Q, unless you have it 
yourself. You hold 



106 FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL. 

J 7 5. On your left the 3 is led; your partner 
plays the 6 ; 3rd hand the A ; you the 5. The 9 
is led back ; your 7 ; the K 3rd hand ; 8 4th. 
Your partner has the Q of that suit. 

J 10 4 3. 6 Led; 2 2nd; K 3rd; 3 yours. 
The 7 led back; 4 yours; A 3rd; 5 4th. Your 
partner has the Q of that suit. 

If any suit is led by the player on your left, 
and his partner plays the Ace, he has neither K 
nor Q. If he had the Q, he would finesse it ; if 
the K, he would play it. 



Leading Trumps for the Protection of 
other suits. 



We have examined the method of leading trumps 
when they are your best suit. Let us now con- 
sider cases where you lead them to protect your 
own or your partner's plain suits. 

I trust it is no longer necessary for me to remind 
you that if you read this book without the cards 
in your hand, you are simply wasting your time. 
Change the suits occasionally, to acccustom the 
eye to making the inferences equally well in all of 
them ; but always lay out the cards on the table, 
and take into your hand those indicated at the 
beginning of each paragraph. 

Many persons are well aware of the general 
principle that it is usually best to lead trumps if 



INFERENCES. 



107 



you have four of them and an established plain suit. 
But they are sometimes very remiss about inferring 
the establishment of a suit; often imagining that 
because a single high card is still out against them, 
their suit will not be established until that card is 
captured. Now a suit is established when you can 
take every trick in it, no matter who leads it. If 
there is a high card out against you, unguarded, 
and you can catch it with a higher card, there is 
no necessity for you to lead in order to catch it. 
It is usually best to lead the trumps if you have 
four, and catch that card afterwards, when the 
partner of the player holding it can no longer 
trump your higher card. 



Inferring that Suits are Established. 



Go over the following exercises carefully with 
the cards, and do not read my inferences until 
you have made your own. 

A 10 8 2. Your partner leads K (plain suit) ; 7 
2nd ; 2 yours ; 4 4th. Then 3 led ; 9 2nd ; A yours ; 
6 4th. Your suit is established ; for your partner 
has the Q 5 ; the J is unguarded in the adversaries' 
hands, and must fall to the Q next time the suit is 
led. In order to protect this established suit, and 
to keep the adversaries from ruffing it, you should 
now lead trumps if you have four of them or more. 



108 Foster's whist manual. 

If you have only three trumps, it may be better 
not to lead them, unless they are very good ones, 
as some one at the table must have at least four. 
If your other plain suits are well protected, it will 
in many cases be well to lead trumps even from 
three. Otherwise it may be better to weaken the 
adversaries by "forcing" them with this established 
suit. Suppose you hold 

K Q J 2 } and lead the K ; 9 2nd ; 4 3rd ; 3 4th. 
If you have four trumps, lead them at once, as 
this suit is established ; your partner has A, and 
you have Q J. 

K J 7 2. You lead 2; 6 2nd; A 3rd; 4 4th. 
Your partner returns the 3; 8 2nd ; K yours; Q 4th. 
This suit is now established ; your partner must 
have been returning the lowest of three cards, for 
the 5 is marked in his hand, and if he had had 
no other, he would have returned that. Then the 
10, even if against, is unguarded, and must fall to 
your J. Lead trumps if you have four of them. 

A K 6. Your partner leads Q ; 5 2nd; K yours; 
4 4th. This suit is established ; for your partner 
should have 3 2 with his J and 10; so, even if 
the three other cards of the suit are all in one hand 
against you, they must fall to your combined 
A J 10. Do not return the suit, but lead trump? 
if you have four. 

A Q 8 2. Your partner leads 6; 10 2nd; you 
finesse Q ; 4 4th. Return the A ; 5 2nd ; partner's 



CALLING FOR TRUMPS. IO9 

7 ; 3 4th. This suit is established. Partner has 
K 9, over the unguarded J on your right. If you 
have four trumps, lead them. 

If you have a suit already established in your 
hand, such as A K Q J h ; or a very good hand 
in all suits, and four trumps, you should lead the 
trumps. You may not have the lead, but may be 
anxious for your partner to lead trumps, in case 
he gets the lead before you do. In order to let 
him know this, you can avail yourself of an 
artifice known as 

The Trump Signal. 

The 1 1 call ' ' for trumps can be made by any 
player but the 1st hand or leader. He cannot 
call upon any one else to lead trumps ; he 
must lead them himself if he wants them led. 
The 2nd, 3rd, or 4th hand can call by playing 
any two cards of the same suit, the higher before 
the lower. To illustrate : — 

Hearts are trumps : you want them led. You are 
2nd hand; Clubs are led, of which you hold perhaps 
the 10, 6, and 3. Play the 6 to the first round of 
Clubs ; the 3 to the second, and every player at 
the board knows you want trumps led. So, if you 
are 3rd hand, and partner led the Club K, put the 
6 on it ; if he follows with the A, put the 3 on 
that, and if attentive he will at once lead trumps 
to you. If his K is taken by the A, play your 3 
when Clubs are led again ; he will win the trick 



TIO 



FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL. 



with his Q and lead trumps. If you are 4th hand, 
and cannot win the trick, follow the same plan 
with any two cards that you hold of the suit led. 
As it may be several rounds before a suit is led a 
second time, you cannot immediately complete 
your call in that suit ; but you may begin a call 
in another, or in two others, and complete which- 
ever first comes round again. 

The great objection to the signal in the hands 
of a beginner is that he becomes so absorbed in 
it, and so fearful that he has overlooked one from 
his partner, that he forgets everything else. 

Theoretically the trump signal is very effective. 
Drayson says it is 1 4 an immense advantage ; 1 ' but 
he does not offer to show wherein the advantage 
lies. Cavendish says it is a 14 common artifice.' ' 
Pembridge says it is an unmitigated humbug. 
Pro6lor says its use is so general that we need not 
discuss it. Pole advocated it for years ; but finally 
deemed it a fallacy, and ignored it altogether. As 
others will call, every Whist player should know 
the artifice, and may perhaps take advantage of it, 
even if he does not play it himself. 

When should you call- for trumps? The books 
say not with less than five of them, one being an 
honor; or with four, two being honors; in either 
case accompanied by a good side hand. My advice 
is to call for trumps when you want them led. 
You are to be the judge of when that is; but 



CALLING FOR TRUMPS. 



1 1 1 



remember that by calling for trumps in the early 
part of the hand, you command your partner 
to abandon his game and play yours, and you 
become responsible for the odd trick. 

As the trump signal, or call, makes a great 
difference in a person's game, I will offer these 
suggestions to beginners: Do not play it, or pay 
any attention to it if played by others, until you 
are thoroughly expert in every other point of 
the game ; nor even then, unless you can see it 
without looking for it. Never play it unless you 
are sure your partner can be depended upon to see 
and answer it. Do not "call" on a partner who 
has given evidence of a weak hand ; for it is very 
unlikely that he will be able to get the lead. 
You must remember that the first card played, 
not being your smallest, misleads your partner ; 
the completion of the call puts two players on the 
watch to spoil your game, and there is only one 
to help you. It is only intended to "ask" your 
partner; but the odds are three to one against his 
getting the lead ; the call may induce him to risk 
high cards to obtain it ; it will also notify two 
adversaries to play high to keep him out of it. 
If you are "calling" as 2nd hand, the ist hand 
may lead trumps through you, and ruin your hand. 

As suggested by General Drayson, the trump 
signal may, after the trumps are all out, be used 
as a signal to your partner to stop leading a suit, 



112 FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL. 

and change to some other, you do not care which, 
if he only gives up that which he is leading when 
you signal. The best card of one suit may be in 
your own hand, and perhaps the only two cards 
of another; but he may not know this. With 
these, suppose you hold the 4 and 2 of the suit 
that he is leading, and by signalling with these 
two cards you tell him to change his lead, and he 
leads the suit of which you have the best. He 
might otherwise never have thought of leading it, 
for it may have been the adversaries' suit. This 
signal is often very useful late in the hand. 

As a little exercise in calling when you are 
2nd hand : take 

863. 4 Led ; you play your 6 ; 3rd hand the 
K ; 4th hand, your partner, the 2. You notice 
that the leader had only four of the suit. Player 
on your left returns the 9, probably the higher of 
only two remaining; your partner plays the 10; 
3rd hand the A ; you the 3. You have called. 
If the suit is led again your partner has the Q; 
if he has the J also, the player on your left has 
no more. 

9863. 4 Led ; you play the 6 ; 3rd hand the 
K ; 4th hand the 2. The 7 is led back ; your 
partner plays the 10 ; 3rd hand the A. You know 
the player on your left has no more. If your 
partner leads K then A of a suit, you can call 
on his two leads by playing first the 6, then the 3. 



CALLING FOR TRUMPS. 



"3 



With four exactly, when as 3rd hand (on 
partner's lead), you wish to call, you must still 
follow the rule as to keeping the lowest of four. 
In order to " signal, " or call, you must play your 
second-best first, and on the second round your 
third-best. 

9863. If partner leads an A, Q, J, or 10, 
begin a call with your 8, afterwards playing the 
6 ; still retaining the 3. This accomplishes a 
double purpose ; it unblocks his suit, and calls at 
the same time. 

If you wish to call when 2nd hand, and hold 
Q J 3. 4 Led. Play the Q. If it wins, lead 
trumps ; if not, the 3 falling second round will 
complete the call. In this you make a double 
play ; you prevent the 3rd hand from winning too 
cheaply, (see p. 95), and you call for trumps at the 
same time. 

J 10 z. 4 L,ed, Begin the call with the J. 

If you lead trumps in response to a signal from 
your partner, your lead must be governed by the 
following considerations: It \s your partner* s suit, 
although you lead it first; and if you would not lead 
it unless obliged to do so by your partner's signal, 
it becomes a forced lead. So if you have the best 
card of his suit, the A of trumps, lead it at once ; 
(See p. 64). If you have the second and third-best, 
the K Q or the K Q J, (see p. 65) lead the K. If 
you have Q J 10 h, lead the Q. If your partner 

1 



ii4 



FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL,. 



calls, and you have only three trumps, lead the 
highest, whatever it may be, because it is a forced 
lead ; you would not have led trumps unless he 
had called. So if you have only two trumps, just 
as with only two cards remaining of your partner's 
suit, lead him the higher of the two ; (see p. 66). 

If your partner's original lead was a trump, it is 
of the utmost importance that you return it at 
once ; because he commands you to abandon your 
game and help him to exhaust the trumps; just 
as you might do by leading the trump instead of 
returning his suit ; (see p. 68). 

It must be obvious that when a player is leading 
trumps, especially if his object is to exhaust those 
held by the adversaries, it is very desirable he 
should know how many the adversaries hold. 
This they will not tell ; but if the leader's partner 
tells how many he holds, the deduction is simple. 
This is accomplished by means of a very effective 
artifice known as the echo in trumps; the 
obje6t being to inform your partner that you too 
are strong in trumps. You should always echo 
with four or more trumps, to enable your 
partner to count your hand. 

The simplest form of echo is on a trump lead, 
and might be described as calling for trumps in 
the trump suit. To illustrate: Suppose Hearts 
are trumps ; you are 3rd hand and hold 

Q 8 7 2. K of trumps led ; 2nd hand plays 



THE ECHO IN TRUMPS. 115 

the 9 ; you echo by playing your 7 ; 4th plays the 

5. Then A led; 2nd hand plays the 10; you 
complete your echo just as you would complete a 
call, by playing your 2. The 4th hand plays the 

6. You know your partner has the 4 and 3 ; per- 
haps the J. He knows that you have two more 
trumps as least; and if he had only four himself, 
he is certain that another round will draw the J. 
If he had five, he knows the adversaries' trumps 
are all gone. Suppose he was very anxious to 
exhaust trumps, and led from A K 4 3. Had you 
not echoed, he might have stopped after two 
rounds, thinking both J and Q were in 2nd hand, 
or that Q J 8 were all in 4th hand against him. 

By not echoing you inform him you are not 
strong. For instance : 

742. K of trumps led ; 9 2nd ; 2 yours ; 4th 
hand the 6. Then A led; 10 2nd; 4 yours; 4th 
hand the 8. Your partner misses the 7 ; he knows 
you have that alone as you did not echo ; and that 
both J and Q are against him, perhaps in one hand. 

With five trumps you echo. 

Q 8 7 4 2. If partner leads K of trumps; 
2nd hand plays the 6 ; you play the 7 ; 4th the 5. 
Partner goes on with the A ; 9 2nd ; 4 yours, still 
retaining the 2 ; 4th hand renounces, having no 
more trumps. If your partner led from four 
trumps he knows there is only one more on your 
right. If, in his anxiety to get them out, he led 



Il6 FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL. 

from three only, you know that even if the 
adversary has both J and 10, you have one more 
trump than he. In any of these examples your 
partner knows when you are echoing, because he 
misses the 2 on the first round. The second round 
tells him whether you had four or five. 

One example where you lead trumps yourself 
from 

A QJ103. You lead the A; 5 2nd; 8 3rd; 
4 4th. Your partner is probably echoing by 
keeping the 2. The only two he can have above 
the 8 are the K and 9. You continue with the 
10 to indicate your hand ; 2nd the 6 ; partner the 
2 ; 4th the 7 ; and you know the adversaries are 
exhausted. 

The same tallies are available to you when the 
adversaries lead trumps. If you have five trumps, 
or four, two of them being honors, — in either case 
with a good side hand, — you echo on the adverse 
trump lead, to prevent your partner from throwing 
away cards of his best suit under the impression 
that all the trumps are against him. 

J 7 6 4 3. These are trumps ; you have a good 
side hand, and trumps are led through you. Q 
led; you play the 4, not the 6, as you would on 
your partner's lead ; because he could not know 
you had the 3 until it was too late for the in- 
formation to be of any use; and missing it, he 
would credit the leader with it ; 9 3rd ; 5 4th, 



FORCING TRUMPS. 



II 7 



Then K led; 3 yours; 10 3rd; 8 4th. Your part- 
ner knows you have J 7 6 against the leader's A 2. 



Forcing Trumps and Ru&ing. 



If a player calls for trumps he announces that 
he wishes them led in order to exhaust them ; 
but if this player is obliged to trump a trick, it 
may weaken his hand to such an extent that he 
would not feel safe in leading them afterwards. 
Again, his anxiety to keep his trumps inta6l may 
be so great that he will refuse to trump a trick, 
preferring to let the adversaries win it, in the hope 
that they will then be obliged to lead some other 
suit. If your adversary so refuses to trump a 
trick, the very best thing to be done is to lead 
the suit again in order to force him. His refusal 
to trump is evidence that his hand is not strong 
enough both to trump in and to lead trumps ; and 
you will still further weaken it by the 1 4 force. ' ' 
Some splendid hands are ruined by being forced. 

K J to 7 3. You lead 10; 5 2nd ; A 3rd ; 4 4th. 
The 9 returned ; Q 2nd ; K yours ; 6 4th. 'Your 
partner has the 2 only ; on your left is the 8. 
Suppose you are not strong enough in trumps to 
lead them, but would like to weaken the adver- 
saries by forcing, go on with your J ; 8 2nd ; 2 3rd ; 
4th hand refuses to take the force. Now you can 
go on with your 7; and if 2nd hand trumps, your 



Il8 FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL. 

partner will overtrump if he can, and you will 
weaken both adversaries. 

K Q J 2. You lead K; 9 2nd ; 6 3rd; 3 4th. 
If not strong enough to lead trumps, go on with 
the J ; 2nd hand refuses the force ; 7 3rd ; 4 4th. 
Your partner must have another small card with 
the A, as he passed your J ; the 4th hand has at 
least the 5 ; go on with the 2, keeping up the force. 

If a player has led trumps once, and you get 
the lead, with a chance to force him, you may 
spoil his entire game by so doing. 

While on the subject of forcing, it may be well 
to consider when you should "ruff" or trump an 
adverse lead if you are second hand. 

Take the simplest case first. Hearts are trumps; 
you are 2nd hand, and have only the 4 of clubs, 
of which suit player on your right leads the K. 
[Place the cards from the pradlice-pack, as in all 
previous exercises.] You play 4; 3rd hand plays 
the 2 ; 4th (your partner) the 6. You know your 
partner has not the A. Then 3 led, showing only 
four in suit, and that the lead was from K Q x x. 

You know your partner cannot win the trick. 
Shall you trump it or not ? You must do so ; for 
otherwise the suit will be led a third time, and 
perhaps a fourth, by the adversaries, who have 
A K and Q of it at least. 

But suppose the card led were the Aj you play 
your 4 ; 3rd the 6 ; 4th the 5. Then J led. Should 



FORCING TRUMPS AND RUFFING. 119 

you trump, or chance your partner having the K ? 

If you are strong in trumps, and do not want 
to weaken your trump suit by ruffing, pass the 
trick. Seeing you pass a "doubtful trick" as 
this is called, it being doubtful who will win it, 
your partner will assume that you have four 
trumps, or three very good ones. If you have five 
you are usually strong enough to trump in and 
lead. 

Suppose you hold this 4 of clubs, and the player 
on your left leads the J ; your partner plays Q ; 
3rd hand A; and you the 4. The leader holds two 
small cards ; your partner the K hh . The player 
on your right returns the 2, probably the lowest 
of three or more remaining. Should you trump? 
No ; because this is not a doubtful trick. You 
know your partner has the K. 

A K 6 2. You lead K ; 7 2nd ; 8 3rd ; 3 4th. 
You go on with the A; 9 2nd ; partner renounces ; 
4 4th. Should you force your partner? The 5 at 
least is on your right, so he will not be over- 
trumped. As there is the danger that you may 
spoil his hand by forcing him, you should not do 
so unless you have at least four trumps yourself, 
or three very good ones. If you force him, he is 
justified in thinking that you have strength enough 
to make up for weakening his hand. In this ex- 
ample, having only one of the suit, he had no 
chance to call on you to lead trumps, if he wanted 



i2o Foster's whist manual. 



them led ; but if he has had a chance to call and 
has not done so, you can assume that he is not 
very anxious for a trump lead, or very strong in 
trumps; and even if you have only two or three 
small ones you should force him at once, before 
the adversaries see how weak you are, and draw 
your small trumps. 

K jo 7 3. Player on your left leads 8 ; 2 2nd ; 
A 3rd ; you play the 3. Then on your right the 
6 is led back ; you play K, (see p. 38) ; 9 3rd ; 
5 4th. You can locate the suit ; the 8 (led) from 
1 1 leaves three ; all accounted for, as you hold the 
10, and A K are played. On your left are the 
Q J only ; on your right is the 4 only. Partner 
has no more, and has not called for trumps, al- 
though he had the opportunity. If you do not 
want to lead trumps yourself, force him at once 
with a small club, as by not " calling" he has 
notified you that he can use his trumps for ruffing, 
and does not particularly want them led. 

Suppose this occurs : (Take again the 4 of 
clubs.) Player on your right leads the 5; you 
play 4 ; 3rd the A ; 4th the 3. Player on your 
left leads the 2 ; 2nd hand plays Q ; 3rd the 8. 
You discard. Your partner must have the K; but 
he leads you the 7 of clubs ! He evidently wants 
to retain command of the opponents' suit, and to 
force you to trump it. It is usually best to take 
the force ; because your partner is probably pretty 



FORCING TRUMPS AND RUFFING. 121 

strong, or he would not force you. But if you 
have good trumps, and want them all to support 
a strong hand in plain suits by leading them, you 
should refuse the force. As this is not a doubtful 
trick, your partner will lead trumps to you at the 
first opportunity. 

We have examined the strength of the echo in 
trumps when your partner leads them. Another 
form of the echo is when you are "forced;" 
that is, when you are forced to trump a trick in 
order to win it. For example : Suppose hearts 
are trumps. You hold in that suit 

K Q 6 5 z. The player on your left leads the 
K of clubs ; 2 2nd ; 5 3rd ; you have only the 4 
and play it. Then A led ; 7 2nd ; 6 3rd ; you have 
a good hand and intend to lead trumps at once, 
but must first win this trick. To indicate your 
strength, you trump with the 5 and lead the 2. 
If you hold 

A Q J 8 2. Under the same conditions, trump 
with the 8, and lead the A from the high card 
combination. Your partner missing the 2 will be 
able to count your hand. 

The more complicated form of the echo is in 
response to a call, when you are forced at the same 
time. For example : Suppose hearts are trumps. 
You hold 

Q 8 7 4 2. But the player to your left leads 
clubs ; and the cards fall : K led ; 2nd hand (your 



122 FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL. 

partner) plays the 7 ; 3rd the 4. Suppose you have 
only one small club, and play it. Second round : 
A led; 2nd the 2 ; 3rd the 6. Your partner has called 
for trumps. You echo, to indicate your strength, 
by trumping with the 4 of hearts and leading the 
2, as you have four left, even after ruffing in. 

Q 8 7 2. Under the same conditions (partner 
having called), you trump with the 7; but having 
now only three of the suit left, it becomes a forced 
lead ; you lead the Q. Your partner missing the 
2, or seeing it fall third round, will perceive the 
echo ; but with 

Q 8 2. You would trump with the 2, and lead 
the Q ; showing by not echoing, that you had not 
four trumps when partner called. 

If you had been forced with four trumps, and 
your partner afterwards completes a call, or leads 
trumps, you should echo, to show that you had 
four originally. 

As the ability to see the trump-signal or the 
echo without looking at the last trick and asking 
everyone what card he played, is not common, but 
is a certain mark of a good player, it would be 
well to pradlice it a little. Take 

A K 6 2. You lead the K. The cards fall : 
7 2nd ; 4 3rd ; 8 4th. Missing the 3, and knowing 
that the lowest is not kept to K led, an alert 
player would know at once that some one was 
calling. You continue with the A ; 9 2nd ; 3 3rd ; 



FORCING TRUMPS. 



123 



10 4th. Your partner demands that you now 
abandon your game and lead him a trump ; there- 
fore if you have the A of trumps lead it. If you 
have K Q J, lead the K ; if you have Q J 10, 
lead the Q. If you have only two or three tmmps, 
whatever they may be, lead the highest, because 
your partner forces you. 

A 6 5 3. You lead the 3; 10 2nd; K 3rd; 
4 4th. You infer that partner has not the Q. 
Missing the 2 you must not jump to the con- 
clusion that some one is calling ; 2nd hand may 
be playing in from J 10 2. (See p. 96.) Your 
partner returns the 9, evidently the higher of 
only two remaining ; the 2nd hand (on your right) 
plays J ; you play A ; 4th hand the 2. The player 
on your left has called, and has no more of the 
suit ; your partner has either the 7 or 8 single ; 
and the player on your right has the Q with the 
7 or the 8 ; for from Q J x, he played his J as 2nd 
hand, on your partner's return of the suit (see 
P- 95)) to prevent you from passing the 9. Sup- 
pose you are 2nd hand, holding 

1 6 5 3, 7 Led; you play the 3; K 3rd; 9 
4th. Player on your left returns the 10; your 
partner plays the 2 ; 3rd hand the 8 ; you the A. 
You can at once locate the suit. On your left is 
the 4 ; as he returned the 10, the higher of two 
remaining. On your right must be the Q J ; the 
7 (led) dedudled from 11 leaves 4, all of which 



124 FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL,. 



(A K 10 9) are accounted for, and your partner 
has no more of the suit. If you lead a small 
card he can trump it ; but he tells you to abandon 
your idea of the game, and lead him a trump, 
which you must do at once. 
As 1st hand, with 

K QJ 6 3. You lead J ; 8 2nd ; A 3rd ; 5 4th. 
Your partner returns the 4 ; 2 2nd ; you play Q ; 
9 4th. The player on your right has called; but 
has more of the suit, the 7 at least; your partner 
has no more. (See play of A and one small card 
on J led, p. 32). Here is your chance to lead a 
small card, and let your partner ruff it, before the 
adversaries exhaust your trumps, which they, by 
calling, have announced as their intention, as soon 
as they get the lead. 

A Q J 8 2. You lead A; 4 2nd ; 10 3rd ; 5 4th. 
Some one must be calling. Your partner cannot 
be keeping the 3 as the lowest of 4, and playing 
his third best ; for there are no two cards out higher 
than the 10. You lead again, the J from the five- 
card suit ; 7 2nd ; 9 3rd ; 6 4th. Your partner has 
the K and 3 ; and has called for trumps ; the 
adversaries have no more of the suit. This is an 
example of your partner keeping the lowest of four 
exacftly and calling at the same time. (See p. 113). 

Go over these few exercises again, turning down 
the cards played in the first round, and see whether 
you can detecft the call at once. 



thirteenth carp led. 



"5 



There is one case that is a source of great 
perplexity to all beginners. Your partner leads 
you a thirteenth eard; that is, the only one 
left of the suit ; or, which is the same thing, 
a card of a suit of which you know that no one 
else has any left. Does he wish you to pass it 
or trump it? Such play occurs usually during the 
last few rounds, and you must decide as to his 
intention by inference. If you know he is strong 
in trumps, he would have you put your best trump 
on it. If you think he is weak in trumps, he 
probably wishes you to pass, as he is trying to 
place the lead in the hands of the player on your 
left (4th hand), who will then have to lead through 
his weak up to your strong hand ; which of course 
the 4th hand does not desire to do. (See p. 67.) 

As before remarked, the management of trumps 
depends more upon judgment than upon rule ; but 
the foregoing cases often occur, and should be 
carefully studied. 



INFERENCES. 



Plain Suits only. 



Having now mastered the conventional ^method 
of playing in each position at the table, we shall 
take up some exercises on inferences by the 
first hand or leader. The inferences of 2nd and 
3rd hand have already been pretty well discussed 

These exercises are separated from the inferences. 
Each is numbered, and the hand which you are 
to hold is indicated. Then the first and second 
rounds of the suits are given. You should place 
the cards of the first round, and draw your infer- 
ences ; then place the cards for the second round, 
and draw the inferences before turning to the key 
and reading mine. Go over them again ; but turn 
down the first round before placing the cards for 
the second. 

The small figure before the hand indicated, 
refers to the key on p. 132. 

1. — A Q J 2. 

1st Round. You lead A, 6 2nd, 3 3rd, 5 4th. 
2nd Round. ,, Q, 9 2nd, 4 3rd, 7 4th. 

2. -A Q J 2. 

1st Round. You lead A, 5 2nd, 3 3rd, 4 4th. 
2nd Round. ,, Q, 7 2nd, 10 3rd, 6 4th. 



INFERENCES. 127 

3.— A Q J 8 2. 

1st Round. You lead A, 6 2nd, 5 3rd, 4 4th. 
2nd Round. J, 7 2nd, 9 3rd, 4th trumps. 

4. -A Q J 10 3. 

1st Round. You lead A, 5 2nd, 2 3rd, 7 4th. 
2nd Round. ,, 10, 2nd tritmps, K 3rd, 6 4th. 

5. - A Q J 10 3. 

1st Round. You lead A, 5 2nd, 7 3rd, 6 4th. 
2nd Round. ,, io, 8 2nd, 4 3rd, 4th trumps. 

6. — A Q 8 4 2. 

1st Round. You lead A, 7 2nd, 3 3rd, 6 4th. 
2nd Round. ,, 4, 10 2nd, K 3rd, J 4th. 

7— A Q 10 5 3. 

1st Round. You lead A, 9 2nd, 4 3rd, 7 4th. 
2nd Round. ,, 5, K 2nd, 6 3rd, J 4th. 

8. — K Q J 6 3. 

1st Round. You lead J, A 2nd, 8 3rd, 4 4th. 
2nd Round. K, 2nd trumps, 9 3rd, 5 4th. 

9. — K Q J 6 3. 

1st Round. You lead J, 2 2nd, 5 3rd, 4 4th. 
2nd Round. ,, K, 9 2nd, A 3rd, 8 4th. 

10. — K J 10 3. 

1st Round. You lead 10, 5 2nd, 2 3rd, 4 4th. 
2nd Round. ,, 3, 7 2nd, Q 3rd, 9 4th. 

11.— Q J 10 4 3. 

1st Round. You lead Q, 6 2nd, 2 3rd, K 4th. 
2nd Round. ,, 10, 8 2nd, 5 3rd, 4th trumps. 



128 FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL. 

12. — Q J 10 4 3. 

ist Round. You lead Q, 6 2nd, 2 3rd, K 4th. 
2nd Round ,, 10, 7 2nd, A 3rd, 9 4th. 

13. — Q J 10 4 3. 

ist Round. You lead Q, K 2nd, A 3rd, 7 4th. 
2nd Round. ,, 10, 2nd trumps^ 5 3rd, 8 4th. 

14.— Q J 10 3. 

ist Round. You lead Q, 4 2nd, 7 3rd, A 4th. 
2nd Round. ,, J, K 2nd, 8 3rd, 4th discards. 

15. J 10 9 3 2. 

ist Round. You lead 3, Q 2nd, K 3rd, A 4th. 
2nd Round. ,, J, 2nd trurnps, 5 3rd, 7 4th. 

16. J 10 9 3 2. 

ist Round. You lead 3, 7 2nd, Q 3rd, K 4th. 
2nd Round. ,, J, 8 2nd, 4 3rd, 6 4th. 

17. - K Q J 6 3. 

ist Round. You lead J, 2 2nd, 4 3rd, 8 4th. 

2nd Round. ,, K, 2nd trumps^ 7 3rd, 5 4th. 

18. — K J 10 7 3. 

ist Round. You lead 10, 9 2nd, 2 3rd, 4 4th. 
2nd Round. ,, 7, 6 2nd, A 3rd, 5 4th. 

19. — Q J 10 4 3. 

ist Round. You lead Q, K 2nd, 2 3rd, 7 4th. 
2nd Round. ,, 10, A 2nd, 9 3rd, 8 4th. 

20. — Q J 10 3. 

ist Round. You lead Q, A 2nd, 2 3rd, 9 4th. 
2nd Round. ,, J, 4 2nd, 8 3rd, K 4th. 



INFERENCES. 



129 



21. — Q J 10 3. 

1st Round. You lead Q, 2 2nd, 9 3rd, 5 4th. 
2nd Round. ,, 3, 7 2nd, A 3rd, 4 4th. 

22. -A 6 5 4 3. 

1st Round. You lead A, J 2nd, 8 3rd, 7 4th. 
2nd Round. ,, 4, 2nd trumps, Q 3rd, 94th. 



Some cases where the suit is returned by 
your partner. 

23.— K Q 6 2. 
1st Round. You lead K, 7 2nd, A 3rd, 4 4th. 
2nd Round. J returned, 3 2nd, Q yours, 8 4th. 

24.— K Q J 6 3. 

1st Round. You lead J, 8 2nd, A 3rd, 4 4th. 
2nd Round. 7 returned, 2 2nd, Q yours, 9 4th. 

25. — Q J 10 3. 

1st Round. You lead Q, 5 2nd, K 3rd, 4 4th. 
2nd Round. A returned, 6 2nd, 3 yours, 8 4th 

26. — K J 10 3. 

1st Round. You lead 10, 6 2nd, A 3rd, 4 4th. 
2nd Round. 7 returned, 5 2nd, K yours, 8 4th. 

27. — J 7 6 4 3. 

1st Round. You lead 4, 8 2nd, Q 3rd, 5 4th. 
2nd Round. 2 returned, 10 2nd, J yours, A 4th. 

28. -9 8 6 4 3. 

1st Round. You lead 4, 5 2nd, K 3rd, 2 4th. 
2nd Round. 10 returned, 72nd, 3 yours, Q 4th. 



130 FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL. 



29. — K 7 6 2. 

1st Round. You lead 2, 4 2nd, 10 3rd, A 4th. 
2nd Round. Q returned, 8 2nd, 6 yours, 5 4th. 

30. — K 7 6 2. 

1st Round. You lead a, 4 2nd, 10 3rd, 5 4th. 
2nd Round. J returned, 8 2nd, what will you play? 

31. — J 10 9 2. 

1st Round. You lead 2, 5 2nd, K 3rd, 7 4th. 
2nd Round. A returned, 6 2nd, 9 yours, 8 4th 

32. — K J 7 2. 

1st Round. You lead 2, 4 2nd, A 3rd, 3 4th. 
2nd Round. 5 returned, 6 2nd, K yours, 8 4th. 

33. -9 8 6 3. 

1st Round. You lead 3, 4 2nd, J 3rd, 5 4th. 
2nd Round. K returned, 10 2nd, 6 yours, A 4th. 

34. — K J 10 3. 

1st Round. You lead 10, 6 2nd, A 3rd, 4 4th. 
2nd Round. Q returned, 2 2nd, what will you play? 



A few exercises where you are fourth hand 
on the first round of the suit. 

35. — Q 8 7 2. 

1st Round. J led, K 2nd, 6 3rd, 2 yours. 
2nd Round. 9 led, A2nd, 3rd trumps, 7 yours. 

36. — K 7 6 2. 

1st Round. J led, 10 2nd, 3 3rd, K yours. 



INFERENCES. 



37. — 10 9 8 3. 

ist Round. 4 led, J 2nd, 7 3rd, 3 yours. 

38. - A 6 5 3. 

ist Round. 8 led, J 2nd, 4 3rd, 3 yours. 

39. -9 6 4 3. 

ist Round. 7 led, 10 2nd, K 3rd, 3 yours. 
2nd Round. A returned ; locate the suit. 

40.— 9 6 3. 

ist Round. 7 led, 4 2nd, A 3rd, 3 yours. 

2nd Round. 5 returned, 6 yours, K 3rd, 10 4th. 

41.— K 7 6 4 2. 

ist Round. J led, 5 2nd, A 3rd, 2 yours. 
2nd Round. 8 returned, what will you play ? 



It must be obvious that the ability to draw these 
inferences rapidly depends upon a thorough know- 
ledge of the leads, and the way 2nd and 3rd hands 
play the various combinations they may hold in 
their positions. My purpose in giving these ex- 
ercises is that you may have time to study them ; 
because opportunity never occurs in actual play. 
If a musician never has any training except during 
a public performance he will never be a good 
player. He first learns to read music slowly and 
carefully, when alone ; with practice he soon be- 
comes able to read any music at sight. Just so 
with Whist. 



132 FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL. 



Practice these inferences deliberately, by your- 
self, before you try them in the hurry and confusion 
of the game. 



THE KEY. 



1. Your partner has the K alone ; or both the 
8 and 10 with it ; if the latter, the adversaries have 
no more of the suit. 

2. Partner has the K single ; the opponents 
have the 8 and 9. 

3. Partner has K 3 ; on your left is the 10 
single. 

4. Partner still has the 4, but he is unblocking; 
player on your right has called for trumps, and 
still has the 8 and 9 of your suit. 

5. Partner has K 2, and has called for trumps; 
on your left is the 9 single. 

6. Partner has the 5 only ; for he had not four 
exactly, and there were not five for him to hold. 
The player on your right is trying to deceive you 
as to the position of the 9, which you know he 
holds. He considers his J 9 of equal value, the 
10 having been played. 

7. Partner has the 8 and 2 ; the adversaries 
have no more of the suit. 

8. Partner has the 10 and 2 ; the 7 is on vour 
right. 



THE KEY. 



*33 



9. Partner has only the 7 left ; the 10 is 
against you. 

10. On the first round, if your 10 wins, you 
know your partner must hold Q (see p. 50). After 
the second round, partner has A 6 (see p. 62) ; the 
8 is on your left ; right-hand adversary has no 
more of the suit. 

11. Partner has A 7; the 9 also, unless player 
on your left holds it. 

12. Partner has only the 5 left; the 8 is on 
your left ; no more of the suit on your right. 

13. Partner keeps the 2 to avoid blocking your 
suit, as he knows your small cards are the 4 and 3 ; 
he has the 6 also ; the 9 is probably on your right. 

14. Partner has the 9 and 2 ; on your left are 
the 5 and 6. 

15. Partner has the 5 and 4; and by playing 
the 5 he must be beginning a call for trumps, 
which he could not do on the first round, as he had 
to take the adverse Q. You should lead trumps 
at once, if you get the lead. The player on your 
right cannot be calling. If he wished for trumps, 
he would have led them himself when he won the 
first round with the A. 

16. Partner has the A and 5 ; (see p. 32, Ax 
on J led). The adversaries are exhausted. 

17. Your partner has the A, of course ; but re- 
fuses to unblock, because he knows the 9 and 10 
are both on your right, and he knew as soon as 



!34 



FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL. 



you led your K on the second round, (declaring 
only five cards in suit), that the 8 played by your 
right hand adversary on the first round was the 
beginning of a call for trumps. 

1 8. Partner has Q single (p. 63); player on 
your left has no more of the suit, but is calling 
for trumps ; on your right is the 8 single. Your 
partner will probably lead back his Q to force the 
player on your left, as he knows the player on 
your right has the 8, and cannot trump his Q. 

19. 1st Round, A is on your left ; your partner 
has not exactly four of the suit. 2nd Round. You 
know your partner has no more ; the 5 and 6 are 
on your left. 

20. 1st Round. K, or no more, on your right. 
2nd Round. 5, 6 and 7 on your left. The others 
have no more of the suit. 

21. /st Round. Partner has A single; the K 
is on your left ; so you continue with the fourth 
best ; not the J. 2nd Round. Player on your right 
completes a call for trumps, and still has the 6. 
If you recover the lead before the adversaries ex- 
haust the trumps, force your partner at once. 

22. Partner has K and 2 ; on your right is the 
10 single. 



In the following, bear in mind it is your 
partner that returns the suit in every case ; 
either at once, or as soon as he gets the lead again. 



THE KEY. 



r 35 



23. You take the lead and force your partner, 
with the certainty that he will not be overtrumped 
by the player on your right, who has at least the 
5, and has called. 

24. Partner has no more. Force him at once, 
as player on your right has called, but still has 
the 5 at least. In both these cases your partner's 
returning your suit does not preclude a good suit 
of his own ; but rather shows his anxiety to make 
his small trumps (p. 67). 

25. No one having called, your partner still 
has the 2 single ; the 7 is on your right ; the 9 
may be on either side. 

26. 1st Round. Partner has not the Q ; or he 
would have passed your 10 (see p. 33). 2nd 
Round. Partner has the 2 only, and returns the 
higher of two cards. Positions of adverse Q and 
9 are uncertain ; they may, in one hand, form a 
tenace over your J 3. 

27. 1st Round. Neither A nor K on your right. 
Partner not returning A, does not hold it ; so it 
is on your left Partner has the K, for if both 
A and K were on your left, one would have been 
played 1st round (p. 89). 2nd Round. Partner 
has the 9 with the K, as he returned the lowest 
of three cards ; adversaries have no more of the 
suit. 

28. Partner's K shows he has not the Q ; and 
not returning A, he has not that either. His 10 



136 



FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL. 



returned must be his only card of the suit ; for 
he can have none lower, and player on your left 
taking the second round with the Q shows he has 
not the J ; so the J is on your right ; the A is on 
your left. You infer that if you get the lead again, 
any one of your cards will bring down A and J 
together, establishing your suit ; and at the same 
time your partner will trump the trick. 

29. Partner has J and 3. The 10 he played 
first round was from the sequence of Q J 10 ; and 
he now returns the higher of the 2nd and 3rd best 
of your suit. One adversary has the 9 single ; the 
other has no more of the suit. 

30. Your partner's playing correctly here saves 
your K. 1st Round you knew he had the 3 ; and 
4th hand had neither Q nor A, because he allowed 
your partner's 10 to win the trick. 2nd Round 
partner returned the higher of two only, J and 3. 
If he had had the A and Q he would have returned 
the A. If he had had the Q he would have re- 
turned the 3 (lowest of three cards, but not con- 
taining the 2nd and 3rd best ; for A K have not 
been played). So you pass his J ; knowing that 
both A and Q are on your left. The 9 may be on 
either side ; but not with partner. 

31. Partner has both 4 and 3 left; one adver- 
sary has Q single. The one on your right has 
" called." 

32. Your partner has not the Q ; or he would 



THE KEY. 



*37 



have finessed it (p. 25). All the cards lower than 
the 5 having been played, the 5 is his only one, 
or the lowest of three. If the latter, his others 
are the 10 and 9 ; and one adversary has the Q 
single ; the other no more of the suit. 

33. Partner returns the higher of '2nd and 3rd 
best, and still has the Q and 2 ; on your left is 
the 7 single ; on your right no more of the suit. 

34. Partner has no more (p. 33). 2nd Round. 
A call is completed by player on your right, who 
still has the 5 at least. You should take Q led 
with your K, and force your partner at once before 
his trumps are drawn. 

35. 1st Round. The lead is evidently forced, 
from a three-card suit. Partner has the A, which 
is never in a hand from which J is led (p. 17); 
and if 3rd hand had held it, he would have taken 
your partner's K. 2nd Round. Partner has the 
10, and two of the three small cards missing, the 
5, 4, and 3. 

36. The lead is forced, from three cards. Your 
partner has not the A, or he would have taken the 
J. It is on your right, and several small cards 
with it (p. 32). Your partner must have Q single, 
or no more of the suit. 

37. 3rd hand has no card above the 7, since 
he cannot win your partner's J, and you hold 8, 
9, and 10. Therefore, unless he is " calling n with 
the 2 in his hand, he has no more. More probably 



138 FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL, 

your partner has the 2 ; and is playing in from 
the sequence of K Q J, or A Q J; as original leader 
must have had A or K, and only four in suit. 
4 (led) from 11 ; leaving 7 against him. 

38. Yonr partner is evidently playing in from 
Q J 2 ; or K J alone. The card led 11 — 8 = 3, 
all three of which you can account for; your A 
and your partner's two. So on your left are the 
K 10 9, or Q 10 9. If any card remains on your 
right it is the 7. 

39. Deducting the card led, 11 — 7—4, the 
moment A is led back all four are accounted for, 
and you know your partner will trump. On your 
left are Q J 8. 

40. 3rd hand playing A has not the Q. He 
keeps his 2 and returns the 5. The K played on 
your left shows Q is not there, so your partner 
must have it, and alone ; for the card led, 11 — 7=4 
all of which you can account for ; A, K, played ; 
your partner's Q ; your own 9. Therefore on your 
left are the J and 8 ; on your right the 2 single ; 
and your partner has the Q single. 

41. Holding K, you know the lead was forced. 
3rd hand taking his partner's J and returning a 
small card shows he has no more of the suit. 
Then the Q must be in your partner's hand. In 
this case you do not follow the rule, 1 ' best card 
second round ; ' 1 the 3 is on your left, and your 
partner has the 9 or 10, with the Q. 



PECULIAR PLAYERS 



If you play with a partner who does not know 
Whist, but only thinks he does, you must not try 
to convey any information to him. Absorbed in 
his own hand, and the importance of his own play, 
he is not paying the slightest attention to yours, 
or to your cards. You must not hope to draw any 
reliable inferences from the play of persons who 
risk single honors second hand ; who take a trick 
with the King while holding the Queen of the 
same suit ; who always return your plain suit at 
once, but never return your trump lead ; who never 
lead trumps, even from seven of them ; who hold 
on to the command of their partner's suit as if 
no one else could take a trick in it ; who play 
and return the lowest of your suit no matter how 
many they hold, &c, &c. 

After sitting down at the table you should infer 
as quickly as possible in what style of game you 
are involved, and the peculiarities of your partner 
and opponents. If watchful, you may help a bad 
partner to make tricks in spite of himself and his 
bad play ; and a little observation may reveal some 
method in the madness of an adversary's game. 
With strangers, always begin by playing a very 
careful and conventionally accurate game ; watch- 
ing for signs of appreciation and reciprocity from 
them. 



140 FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL. 



Many persons imagine that they can teach a bad 
partner by talking across the table. If he leads 
a J, then an A, they will exclaim: "You must 
never lead a Jack when you have the Ace ; that 
is not right." It is you who are wrong. You 
should say nothing, but observe carefully during 
the following tricks what other cards of the suit 
he held ; afterwards noticing carefully his other J 
leads. You will probably discover that he always 
leads J from A J and others. This is just as reliable 
information to you as any other conventionality ; 
and if the adversaries are not so quick to read the 
peculiarities of players as you are, your better 
perception will beat them every time, the cards 
being equal. 

Many persons have recently been adopting vari- 
ous " fads," such as leading A, not K, if they have 
at least five cards in suit headed by A K ; leading 
Q, not K, from K Q or A K Q and at least five 
cards in suit ; the claim being that it gives partner 
a better chance to unblock. I am not an authority, 
and my opinion is not of much weight ; but in my 
view, these new leads are based on a fallacy, that 
of assuming that there is no other source of in- 
formation than the cards led. If my partner leads 
a Q, according to the new method, I do not know 
whether he holds Q x x, Q J 10, K Q x x x, or 
A KQxx, There being three cases out of four 
in which the A is against him {on my left if the 



PECULIAR PLAYERS. 



second hand passes), I should trump his Q if I 
had none of the suit. By this novel method, it 
is not until the second round that I know anything 
definite ; and then the information is conveyed just 
as accurately to the adversaries as it is to me. 

If the K is led, I do not trump it under any cir- 
cumstances, and on the completion of the second 
round eight cards have fallen. Is there no infor- 
mation in those eight cards? We have seen all 
through these exercises that the information as to 
partner's hand is largely derived from the cards 
played by others, and from these you are in every 
instance able to tell what cards remain with youl 
partner; but the adversaries are often quite at 
fault; whereas by the new mode they would be 
as wise as yourself. 

I can only advise that if you find a player lead 
A, then K, you should watch carefully how many 
small cards he held originally, and if he is ap- 
parently a good player, do not find fault with his 
method of leading, but simply say to yourself : 
4 4 This is a player who adopts the very latest fash- 
ion in leads, and I must not draw any inferences 
until the second round of the suit ; for the inform- 
ation conveyed, especially by A or Q leads, is very 
inaccurate on the first round. " If such a player 
tells you that he does not understand your method 
of leading, and wishes that you adopt his, you will 
silence him at once by saying that you understand 



142 FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL. 

his leads perfectly, — after the suit has been round 
a few times. 

It is a curious fa6l that the writers who advocate 
the leading of A then K to indicate at least five 
cards in the suit, also recommend these very leads 
to convey that they have no more ! I have found, 
in actual play with persons who adopt these "new 
leads, ' ' that their play is full of such inconsistencies. 

The first card led, as given in our early pages, 
is always the best play ; but with an 1 ( untaught ' 1 
partner you need not attempt to convey any in- 
formation by your second lead. Abandon all such 
refinements as long and short jumps ; and remem- 
ber that in every attempt to establish your suit, 
you have three adversaries instead of two. Your 
partner will never unblock if he can help it, nor 
will he understand your efforts to do so. 



STRATEGY. 



Having set forth the regular play of the various 
hands, we shall turn our attention to the departures 
from rule, and to Whist strategy, in which we shall 
see that experts may win a great many tricks 
which the cards they hold would not command if 
played according to conventional rule. 

The student ought now to be master of the con- 
ventionalities of the game ; and if he has practised 
them at the Whist table he has probably discovered 
that they are exactly what would have been the 
best play apart from the fa6l of their convention- 
ality. But as Cavendish very truly says: 

U A player who simply follows rules, and 
fails to grasp situations in which those rules 
should be departed from, is a mere machine 
without intelligence. General principles apply 
to the general case; to apply them to par- 
ticular cases, observation, inference, and judg- 
ment are essential." 
I trust none of my readers will need to be re- 
minded of such obvious departures from rule as 
that, if towards the end of the hand, you have 
only four cards left, all of one suit, and you know 
there are two trumps in one hand, you must play 
your suit, whether as ist, 2nd, 3rd or 4th hand, 
as if it contained only two cards. 



144 



FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL,. 



Among the rules for departing from rules, the 
most common and most useful are those govern- 
ing the 

Finesse. 

It is best not to finesse too much in your part- 
ner's suits ; but you may finesse deeply in your 
own or in your adversaries' if you can leave your 
hand in good condition in case your finesse fails. 
Let us take 

K jo 7 j. You lead 3 ; 4 2nd ; Q 3rd ; 6 4th. 
The 5 returned; 8 2nd. The 5 was evidently 
the higher of two cards. The A you know is on 
your left. If the J also is there, you lose both 
your K and 10 no matter how you play. Your 
only hope for another trick in the suit is that the 
J is on your right, and that your 10 will force 
the A ; so you play the 10. As this position, with 
variations, often occurs on the return of your suit 
by your partner, we shall examine several examples 
of it. 

K to 743. You lead 4 ; 2 2nd ; Q 3rd ; 5 4th. 
The 9 returned ; 8 2nd. You play your 3 to in- 
dicate your suit, and in hope that your partner's 
9 will force the A which you know is on your left. 

Q 10 8 4 2. You lead 4 ; 3 2nd ; K 3rd; 5 4th. 
The 9 returned ; 6 2nd. Play your 2 ; hoping the 
9 will force the A. 

Q 10 8 2. You lead 2 ; 3 2nd ; K 3rd ; 4 4th. 
The 5 returned, which may be the only one. or 



FINESSE. 



145 



the lowest of three ; 6 2nd ; you finesse the 10. 
If it forces the A, which you know to be on your 
left, your Q is good over the J. If both A J are 
on your left, your Q and 10 are lost no matter 
how you play. 

Q 10 8 2. You lead 2 ; 4 2nd ; A 3rd ; 3 4th. 
The 7 returned ; 6 2nd. You know K is on your 
left ; for if on your right, it would have been 
played, as this is the second round; so you finesse 
the 10, hoping the J is not on your left with 
the K. 

J 7 6 3. You lead 3 ; Q 2nd ; A 3rd ; 4 4th. 
The 9 returned ; 5 2nd. The K is on your left ; 
if the 10 also is there you cannot help yourself; 
but if the 10 is on your right, and your partner's 
9 forces the K, your J is good over the 10. Of 
course your partner cannot have the 10 ; his 9 is 
the higher of two, or his only one. 

A Q 8 2. You lead 2 ; 5 2nd ; J 3rd ; 4 4th. 
The 9 returned ; 6 2nd. Your partner evidently 
has the 3, and you know, by his J winning, that 
the K is on your left ; so to finesse Q would be to 
throw it away. You must play i 1 the best card, 
second round," the A. 

In trumps you may finesse on speculation, if 
they are your suit, because your high cards must 
make sooner or later ; whereas if you finesse too 
much in plain suits, your high cards may be 
trumped afterwards. 



146 FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL. 

K J 7 2, which are trumps. You lead 2; 4 2nd; 
A 3rd ; 5 4th. The 6 returned by your partner 
(with the 3 in his hand); 8 2nd. As there may 
be three more trumps against you in one hand 
either on your right or left, you may finesse against 
the O by playing your J ; retaining command with 
the K. The winning card is so likely to be held 
up in trumps that a finesse is often successful : but 
remember never to finesse with anything but 
AO h on your partners original lead of trumps. 

Sometimes as Second Hand, say with 

K 10 3. The 4 led ; you play 3 ; 3rd Q ; 4th A. 
The J is not on your left ; so when on the second 
round 8 is led, you finesse the 10, and retain the 
command of the adverse suit with the K. 

As Third Hand, with 

K 7 4 3. Your partner leads J ; 2nd hand re- 
nounces ; that is, discards, and trusts it to his 
partner, not wishing to use his trumps for ruffing. 
(See p. 119). You play your 3 ; because A and Q 
must both be on your left, and will make two tricks 
whether you play your K or not. 

Strength in trumps should encourage you to 
finesse in your own suit. If you hold 

K J 7 2. You lead 2; 3 2nd; A 3rd; 4 4th. 
Partner returns the 5 ; 6 2nd ; the Q is held ad- 
versely, but you do not know in which hand. If 
you have four trumps, or even three very good 
ones, you should finesse the J, hoping that the Q 



FINESSE. 



147 



is on yom right ; for even if it is on your left 
and wins the J, your K commands the suit, and 
you have the trump strength to defend it. 

In this case you are finessing against one card 
only, which is usually an even chance, just as with 
AQ h. We have seen that to finesse against two 
cards is usually bad, as with K J h. But here 
is a finesse which is in none of the books, and 
which I call 

Finessing by the Eleven Rule. 

This is based on the principle that you have a 
right to finesse against one card on the first round 
of the suit, whether you have strength in trumps 
or not, just as with AQ h on your partner's lead. 
You should have pretty strong trumps to justify 
a finesse on the second round of a suit, as it is 
unlikely that it will go round a third time. 
Suppose you hold 

K 10 3. Your partner leads 8 ; 4 2nd. You 
deduct 8 from 11, and find that there is only one 
card out against your partner, but you know 
neither the card nor where it is. Pass the 8 led. 
Remembering that your partner cannot have 
A Q J, you can demonstrate that out of six 
possible positions in which all the cards above 
an 8 can be placed, there are only two in which 
your finesse will fail. In other words, it is two 
to one that the trick is won by the 8 led. 

K J 2. 8 led; 3 2nd; finesse your 2. In this 



148 FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL. 



case you have no odds in your favor ; but it is 
an even chance, just as it is with A Q m. 

I have introduced this apart from the regular 
plays ; because a partner who did not understand 
finessing, which is one of the strongest points in 
the game, and the least understood, would think 
that you had not the King since you did not play 
it. If you hold K 9 8 2, and a good partner leads 
a 7, pass it. Having 

Q 10 8 2. 7 led ; 3 2nd ; pass the 7 ; play 
your 2. The single card against your partner 
must be the A or K ; he cannot have both. 

While I am 111.11 ch surprised that the great 
authorities on Whist have never discovered this 
system of finessing, I do not recommend its adop- 
tion as a regular method of play ; and for that 
very reason I give it here, among the stratagems 
and other departures from rule only, as one of the 
variations of which the game is capable. There 
are times when a player feels in the humour for 
a little speculation, and this finesse by the eleven 
rule will show him when he can indulge his fancy 
without going in too deep. It may be objected 
that the only case where it is allowable on the 
first round to finesse against one card in your 
partner's suit, is with A Q and others. To this 
I can only say that such has been, until now, the 
only case where a player knew that he was finess- 
ing against only one card. 



FINESSE. 



I 49 



One of the chief advantages of this mode of 
finessing is, that the original leader, if he knows 
that his partner uses it, can often assume that his 
suit is established, although it has been led only 
once. Suppose you led the 8 from 

K to g 8 5. 3 2nd ; your partner plays the 2 ; 
4th hand the A. It is very probable that your 
partner has both the Q and the J, and that he 
finessed against the one card. With a good hand, 
and four trumps, I should assume in such case 
that the suit was established. If the 2nd hand 
had held Q J and only one small card, he would 
have played J. If your partner had held Q or J, 
but not both, he would not have passed. 

Another advantage of this finesse is that the 
2nd hand will be quite in the dark ; and unless 
he is a very shrewd player, he will probably con- 
clude that you passed the small card led because 
you had no high one. This may encourage him 
as 2nd hand on the next round of the suit to play 
the very card that you have been finessing against, 
and you may catch it. 

When trumps have been led or exhausted by 
your adversaries, showing they have a strong hand, 
it is according to a common artifice for you to lead 
your weakest suit, not your strongest, and for your 
partner to finesse deeply in it ; also for him to lead 
his weakest suit to you, for you to finesse in it. 
The theory is that if you are not each strong in 



150 FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL. 



the other's weak suits, or cannot make some suc- 
cessful finesses, the game is hopeless against the 
adverse strength declared. This being a departure 
from the rule of leading your strongest suits is 
called 

Underplay, 

and is usually resorted to at or near the end of a 
hand to make sure of a much needed trick by 
keeping a high card. For instance : Suppose 
hearts are trumps, and you have 

K 7 2. Your partner leads the 3 ; 2nd plays 
the 4. If you want to be sure of a trick in trumps 
play your 2 ; because if player on your left has 
any of the suit he must take the trick, and can 
then lead up to your guarded K. This is often 
very important. 

Underplay in plain suits is frequently resorted 
to by experts at any stage of the hand. As with 

A Q J 10 3. You lead A ; K 2nd ; 8 3rd ; 2 
4th. If you continue with your fourth-best, the 
10, the player on your left will trump at once, 
for he will know you hold entire command ; but 
if you play your 3, the player on your left may 
trust the trick to his partner, thinking you led 
from A x x x x. Your partner has the 9 or no 
more ; on your right are four more. If the 2nd 
hand passes, your partner will win with the 9, or 
trump the trick. 



UNDERPLAY. 



QJio 3. You lead Q ; A 2nd ; 8 3rd ; 2 4th. 
Your partner must have the 9, or the K, or no 
more ; therefore do not continue with the J, but 
lead the 3. 

A K 2S. Player on your left leads the Q ; your 
partner plays the 8 ; 3rd the 5. Now if you are 
very anxious to make three tricks in the suit, here 
is your chance. Take the trick with the A, not 
the K ; and lead back the 2. You know J 10 4 3 
are with the adversary on your left. As you played 
A, he will think you have not the K, and will 
argue that it would be unwise to waste his 10 or 
J ; because he would lose his 10 if your partner 
has the K ; and if his partner (on your right) has 
it, he will win the trick with it. So he will play 
his 3, and your partner will win the trick with 
the 9, which he must have, or no more of the suit. 
The 6 and 7 are probably on your right. 

K 10 743. You lead the 4 ; 5 2nd ; Q 3rd ; 
A 4th. On the second round, as you know your 
partner has not the J, you can lead your 10, not 
the K ; and if 2nd hand has the J he will probably 
not play it, thinking that the best card (K) is in 
your partner's hand, not in yours, since you did 
not lead it second round. Of course if 4th hand 
has the J, your stratagem fails ; but you still com- 
mand the suit with the K. 

Suppose only three cards in each hand, all the 
trumps gone, and you have 



152 Foster's whist manual. 

A J 2. The player on your right leads the K ; 
pass it, and let him lead again, when your tenace 
is good for two tricks. 

A J 2. Under the same conditions your partner 
leads the 5 ; 2nd the Q, evidently from K Q x ; 
let him have that trick, and you are sure of the 
next two with the A and J. Even early in the 
hand, some players, if they are 2nd or 4th hand 
and have A J x, will pass a K led, so as to keep 
the A J tenace over the Q ; but this is not good 
play, as it assumes that the suit will live three 
pounds. 

If there are only three tricks to be played, and 
you hold : — 

A 6 3 of trumps. Your partner leads the 2 ; 
Q 2nd ; you should pass, in hope that if a small 
one is led second round, your partner will be able 
to take it. If the K is led, you can take it, and 
hope your partner will take the third trick. 

A J 2. The 6 led ; you play your 2 ; K 3rd ; 
5 4th. If the lead comes back your tenace is good ; 
but if the original leader gets in again and leads 
the 7, you know Q is not on your left, and yon 
play the J, not the A. 

A 10 2. The 6 led ; 2 yours ; Q 3rd ; K 4th. 
As before, if the lead comes back your tenace is 
good. If you are led through, J not being on your 
left, your 10 will win the second round. 

A case where yozc are underplayed :— 



UNDERPLAY. 



153 



J 10 2. The 6 led ; you play in the 10 from 
your sequence ; K 3rd ; A 4th. When the player 
on your right gets the lead again, he continues 
with the 8, hoping you will pass it and think your 
partner has the Q, as that is the best card, and 
should have been led second round if held on your 
right ; but you should play your J in any case ; 
if your partner has the Q it will do for the next 
trick ; if it is bare, he can trump the next round. 

If you are strong enough to lead trumps, which 
are, say Hearts, and suppose player on your right 
leads J of Spades, of which you hold 

A K Q 4; play your A, and lead trumps at 
once. After trumps are drawn, the adversaries 
may lead Spades again ; but had you won the 
J with the Q in the first place, they would have 
known you had entire command, and would have 
avoided the suit. 

A K 6 2. Your partner leads 3 ; if 2nd hand 
renounces, play your A, not the K ; and do not 
lead the suit back. When your partner leads the 
suit again, the player on your right will think that 
his partner must have the K, because you had to 
play the A to the first round, and your partner 
does not go on with the K ; so he will pass again, 
and your K wins. 

In trumps, if A has been turned up by the 
player on your right, and you have only the K 
and Q when he leads a small one, play your K ; for 



154 FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL 



if afterwards the player on your left leads back 
to his partner, the latter will suppose you have 
not the Q, and will therefore not play his A, but 
finesse against you, and lose the trick. 
If you hold in trumps 

A J 10 3. 2 led ; 10 yours ; (see p. 100) 4 3rd ; 
5 4th. If on getting the lead again the same 
player leads the K, you can play your 3, and 
keep your tenace over the Q 9. 

Suppose you are Fourth Hand, and in response 
to an adverse call for trumps, you holding 

J 6 3, the 7 is led ; your partner plays K ; 
3rd A ; you the 3. The 9 is led back. Leader 
is probably trying to underplay you; for if the 7 
led was a fourth-best, 11 — 7=4 ; all accounted for, 
then Q 10 are on your left, and your J is gone 
in any case. But the 7 was most likely a forced 
lead, and O 10 are on your right. Play your J 
in this case. 

Such manoeuvres as these are very common 
among experts,- and you must beware of them. 

In trumps the following is a very common style 
of underplay : You are 4th hand, and hold 

K 7 6 2. 4 of trumps led ; your partner plays 
the 8 ; 3rd the A ; you the 2. The 9 is returned. 
Now, unless very anxious to stop the trump lead, 
you should pass ; and player on your left, thinking 
K is in your partner's hand, will finesse, allowing 
him to take the trick with the 10, J, or Q, 



DISCARDING. 



1 S5 



one of which he must hold, if he has any more 
trumps. 

Another important element in Whist strategy is 
Discarding. 

To discard is to play from another plain suit 
when you have none of the one led, and cannot, 
or do not wish to trump it. 

Beginners naturally select their weakest suit 
from which to discard ; because they assume that 
if they have only three small Clubs, such as 10 9 3, 
such a suit is of no value, and so they discard 
from it. In this they are quite right ; but the 
trouble is that they discard from their weakest 
suit under all circumstances, which is quite wrong. 

When the adversaries lead out trumps, especially 
when they call upon each other for them, it is 
to be supposed that they have one or two very 
strong suits, and it is most likely that the very suit 
in which you are weakest is one of their strong 
ones; if therefore. you discard from it, you make it 
still weaker in your hand and help them. Whereas 
if you have a good suit, such as A Q 2 of Spades, 
it is quite unlikely that this is one of their 
strong suits, and by discarding your 2 of Spades 
you do not weaken your hand in the least. By 
so doing, and keeping your 10 9 3 of Clubs, you 
may, weak as you are, spoil their game. Suppose 
they lead trumps three times, and you cannot fol- 



156 FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL. 



low suit the third time, but must discard ; and 
you hold 

10 9 3 (Clubs). If you discard the 3, and im- 
mediately afterwards the player on your left, 
having taken your partner's last trump, leads the 
6 of Clubs ; your partner plays J ; 3rd hand the 
A ; you the 9. The 4 is returned ; you play your 
10 ; 3rd the K ; your partner the Q. The player 
on your left has perhaps four Clubs in his hand, 
and the lead, and no trumps against him ! Now 
you wish you had kept your 10 guarded. 

The adversaries may have a very strong suit 
which they have led once ; but in which one 
honor, say the A, is still against them. Take 

10 9 3 (Clubs) ; and suppose you had played 
the 3 to the first round, which went thus : — On 
your right the 6 led; 3 yours; 3rd plays Q; 4th 
the K. When the adversaries obtain the lead 
again, they exhaust the trumps, and you have to 
discard. Wiser from your last venture, you keep 
your weak suit- of 10 9, and discard from your 
strong suit of Spades. Player on your right leads 
the 4 of Clubs ; yours the 9 ; 3rd discards ; your 
partner plays the 5. This card is to show you 
that he still has the 2 with the A ; and although 
the original leader had five Clubs J high, you and 
your partner will take three or four tricks in the 
suit. Your 10 will save your partner's A next 
round, just as in p. 96, unless the J is led. 



DISCARDING. 



1 57 



Of course if the adversaries have not shown any- 
great strength by leading or calling for trumps, 
you should always discard from your weakest suit. 
This informs your partner that you are weak in 
it. On the other hand, when great strength has 
been u declared against you," as they say, your 
partner expedls you to discard from your strongest 
or best protected suit, and therefore he will always 
lead that suit to you, because he assumes you are 
stronger in it than in any other. 

If your partner is just as strong as the adver- 
saries ; or if he has called for trumps although they 
lead them ; or if you have any other means of 
knowing that your partner is as strong as they 
are, you should discard from your weak suit, be- 
cause you have nothing to fear. 

Your first discard is the only one to which 
your partner will pay any attention. You cannot 
take back that information any more than you can 
undo a trump signal. 

If you both discard corre6lly, you ought to know 
each other's strong suits, and be able to play into 
each other's hands in spite of the adverse strength. 
It is difficult to give exercises ; but here are two : — 

7 2. These are trumps. Player on your left 
leads the K ; 6 2nd ; 8 3rd ; 2 yours. Then A led ; 
5 2nd; 9 3rd; 7 yours. Then 3 led; 10 2nd; 3rd 
discards. Your partner has the Q and J of trumps, 
because he u echoed," having five, including two 



I58 FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL 



honors, in order that you need not be alarmed. 
The leader has only the 4 left. Discard from 
your weakest suit. 

7 2 (trumps). The 9 led ; 4 2nd ; K 3rd ; 2 
yours. The J returned ; 7 yours ; 6 3rd ; 5 4th. 
Then 3 led. Discard from your strongest or best 
protected suit. The A Q 10 of trumps are on your 
left. All the others will be drawn this round. 

In discarding do not unguard an honor, or leave 
an A single. That is, from K 2, do not discard 
the 2. From Q 2, do not discard and leave your 
Q unguarded. From A 3, do not leave the A alone. 
Even if these are your strongest suits, you make 
them your weakest by so doing. Of course if you 
are very strong, your partner having good trumps 
and you a good suit, unguarding an honor in a 
side suit is not so dangerous. 

Discarding from your strong suit only indicates 
to your partner what suit it is ; but you may let 
him further know that you have complete com- 
mand of it. With 

A K Q J 4, if the suit has not been led, and 
you have to discard, discard the A. With 

K Q J 10 2 , if the A has been played, led by 
one of your adversaries perhaps from a suit of five, 
and you have to discard, discard the K. 

K QJ 6 4; under the same conditions, A having 
been played, discard the K. 

This mode of discarding shows your partner that 



DISCARDING. 



1 59 



you have complete command ; but suppose you are 
left with the second best only : 

J 10. If A, K, and Q have been all played, 
you would discard the J ; because it is the best, 
and shows you have the next best, the 10 ; but if 
you have the 10 alone, and the J is still against 
you, discarding the 10 says to your partner, U I 
have not the best card, the J. " 

It is a common artifice if the player on your 
left has the lead, and you have a discard, to dis- 
card from a suit in which you have a tenace. 

A Q 2 (Spades). Player on your left has led 
K and Q of some other plain suit, and continues 
with the A, which you cannot trump, but have 
to discard. Discard your 2 of Spades. He may 
think you are weak in Spades, and in leading up 
to your supposed weak hand he will fall into the 
clutches of your tenace. 

But there is another very important element, 
and that is 

Discarding the Command of your Partner's 
Suits. 

Many of the previous exercises suggest this ; but 
the following have special reference to unblocking 
by the discard. 

A 6 3 (Spades). J led ; 7 2nd ; 3 yours ; 5 4th. 
Then K led ; 2nd trumps. Partner declares only 
five in suit ; O 4 2 remaining. Then on your left 



l6o FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL. 



are the 8, 9, and 10. Keep your A; but if at any 
time a Spade be discarded by the player on your 
left, you should take the first opportunity of dis- 
carding your A. Your partner's Q will take his 
now single card. 

K 7 6 2. A led ; 8 2nd ; 6 yours ; 5 4th. 
Then J led; 9 2nd; 7 yours; 10 4th. If you 
afterwards have a discard, discard your K. Your 
partner knows you have the 2, and the adversaries 
having no more, you have complete command of 
the suit between you ; he with Q 4 3; you with 
a small one to lead him. 

A 6 5 3. Q led ; 4 2nd ; 3 yours ; K 4th. On 
recovering the lead, your partner continues with 
the 10; 8 2nd ; 5 yours ; 4th trumps. If you have 
a discard, discard the A. The 9 is single on your 
right ; your partner has J, 7, and 2. 

A 8 4 2. Q led ; K 2nd ; A yours ; 6 4th. On 
second round your partner leads the 10; 2nd 
trumps ; you play the 4 (see p. 61). If you have 
a discard, discard the 8. 

A 7 5 4. J led; 3 2nd ; 4 yours ; 6 4th. Then 
K led ; 9 2nd ; 5 yours ; 4th trumps. If you have 
a discard, discard your A. Your partner holds 
Q 8 25 the 10 is single on your right. 

A very important element in Whist strategy is 

Placing the Lead. 

Suppose you have a very bad hand ; no court 



PLACING THE LEAD. l6l 

cards ; no long suit ; only two or three trumps. 
It is unlikely that you will ever take a trick or 
have a lead ; but if you do, you should try to keep 
the lead on your right, in order that the suits may 
be led up to your partner ; your only hope being 
that he is strong, and may make some tenaces if 
led up to, which he could not do if led through. 

A K 2t (Spades). Your partner leads 6 ; J 2nd ; 
K yours ; 3 4th. You return A ; 5 2nd ; 7 3rd ; 
4 4th. On your right is the Q. Looking over 
your hand you find nothing ; no plain suit of four ; 
not a court card ; and only four very small trumps. 
Your only hope is that your partner is strong 
somewhere ; but do not guess at his suit and lead 
wildly. Lead the 2 of Spades, which you know 
the player on your right will take with the Q, 
and he will then have to select some suit that 
may lead up to your partner's strength. If you 
open one of your weak suits, you may be leading 
up to adverse strength. The Q of Spades will 
make in any case, for your partner has two more 
of the suit. 

A 4 3 (Spades). Player on your right leads the 
6 ; you play 3 ; K 3rd ; 7 4th. The 5 is returned ; 
9 2nd ; J 3rd ; A yours. On your left is the 2 or 
no more ; your partner has the 10 ; the Q and 8 
are on your right. You have a miserable hand. 
Do not open a fresh suit on speculation ; but 
lead your 4 of spades up to the player with Q on 

L 



l62 



FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL. 



your right, and force him to lead some suit through 
your weak hand up to your partner's strength. 

Z,ate in the hand, especially if trumps have 
been exhausted, it is very important to place the 
lead properly, and to be careful not to allow your- 
self to be forced into leading up to adverse tenaces, 
which are very strong in the last few tricks. 

A 10 2S (Diamonds). Trumps all gone. You 
have only three cards each. Diamonds have never 
been led ; perhaps player on your left has discarded 
one from weakness. Your partner leads the Q 
(forced) ; 2nd plays K ; probably from the fourch- 
ette (p. 96) ; play your 2, and leave the lead in 
his hands. You hold A 10, a tenace over his J x, 
good for two tricks no matter how he leads. But 
if you had taken his K, you must have led up 
to his tenace J x over your 10 2, and he would 
have won two tricks. 

In trumps this is often very important. 

Inferences made early in hand are of the great- 
est importance in helping you to place the lead 
during the last few tricks. 

9843 (Clubs). You led 3 ; 6 2nd ; Q 3rd ; 
A 4th. Afterwards you led 4 ; 2nd trumped ; 7 
3rd; 2 4th. The trumps are all drawn, and you 
have only three cards left, and a chance to place 
the lead with the player on your right, perhaps 
by leading a small Diamond. You should do so 
at once, for he must then lead his J 5 of Clubs 



RACING THE LEAD. 



163 



up to your partner's tenace of K 10. A similar 
coup occurs in Game 37, 1st Series of Self-Players, 
A's hand. 

During the last few tricks, throwing high cards 
to place the lead or to avoid getting it yourself, 
is a favourite stratagem. 

Suppose you have the tenace in trumps (best 
and third best) over the player to your right, who 
has second and fourth best. To illustrate : 

A 10 Hearts [trumps]. You know K and a 
small one are on your right. The player on your 
right leads the A of Spades, of which you have 
the 10 and 2. Throw the 10, for otherwise he 
may lead Spades again and your 10 may take the 
trick, in which case you must lead up to his K of 
trumps guarded. You make two tricks in either 
case ; but by throwing the 10, your partner may 
win the second round of Spades, and lead through 
the guarded K up to your tenace ; thus you will 
make three tricks. You cannot lose by this play, 
and your partner may help to win the third trick. 

If your Spades are the K and 2 ; you should 
throw the K ; for even if you are sure of a trick 
with it, you lose a trick in trumps, because you 
must lead up to the guarded K of trumps. By 
your throwing the K of Spades your partner may 
win the second round, and both your trumps make. 

Again : if you held originally 

J 7 & 3 (Diamonds) ; and led the 3 ; 5 2nd ; 



164 FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL. 



4 3rd ; 2 4th. Your partner has no more Diamonds. 
Suppose you come down to the last five tricks, and 
still have your three Diamonds with say the K 2 
of Spades ; all the trumps being gone. Player 
on your right leads A of Spades. If you keep 
your K you will win the next round of Spades 
and must lead Diamonds, of which the adversaries 
probably hold the tenace A Q on your left, and 
the K on your right ; your partner having none. 
But if you throw your K of Spades to the A, and 
the suit is led again, your partner may win the 
second round, and make his own suit. If the 
adversaries see the danger and lead Diamonds, 
nothing can save you. For an example of this coup, 
see A's hand, Game 35 ; 1st Series Self-Players. 

Refusing to trump is another common strata- 
gem. You hold among other cards the A of Spades 
single. Player on your left leads the J ; 4 2nd ; 
2 3rd ; A yours. The game proceeds until only 
five cards remain in each hand, and you have the 
last trump. The player on your left leads the Q 
of Spades, declaring six in suit originally, so all 
his five cards are Spades ; your partner plays the 
9 ; the adversary on your right the 3, and he has 
one Spade besides, the 5, 6, 7 or 8, but no more ; 
because the 2 he played first round said, 4 4 1 have 
not four small Spades;" your partner therefore 
must have the 10, and no other card of the suit. 
Now if you use your only trump to take the Q, 



REFUSING TO TRUMP. 



you must lead another suit up to your right hand 
opponent, who may win the trick ; if so, he will 
at once return the Spade, and. his partner will take 
every trick. But if you pass the Q, the player 
on your left must continue Spades, for he has 
nothing else. In so doing, he exhausts his part- 
ner's power to return his suit ; you can then trump 
with safety, as the hand on your left is dead. 

In many cases you can manage a similar coup by 
refusing to overtrump ; by refusing to draw the 
last trump, &c. ; but it is impossible to describe 
them. A player who is expert in the conventional 
leads, returns, and 2nd hand play, will easily see 
where such opportunities present themselves. Ex- 
amples of them are given in Games Nos. 14, 15, 
26, 30 and 31 of the Self-Players, 1st Series. 
Much space is devoted to the grand coup in 
Whist books ; but as Cavendish remarks, a player 
will have a chance to play it only once in 20,000 
games (or 4,000 rubbers), so we shall not enlarge 
upon it. 

I would call attention to one point usually over- 
looked by beginners : that there being only three 
plain suits, you can often infer what a person has 
?tot, by what you know he has. If your partner 
led A from five Diamonds originally, and only two 
rounds were played, it is useless, when you have 
only four cards each in your hands, to hope that 
he has two trumps, or a tenace in Spades, or the 



i66 



FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL. 



K of Clubs guarded ; because three of his cards 
must be Diamonds. 

Similarly : — If the player on your right leads 
the Club K, and your partner wins it with the A, 
and leads you the K of Diamonds, which is at once 
trumped with the 3 of Hearts on your right, and 
the K of Spades is then led, which you win with 
the A, there is no use hoping that your partner can 
take a trick in any plain suit. With the player on 
your right are the two black Queens (both black 
Aces and Kings having been played), and he 
trumps your partner's suit, Diamonds, showing 
his readiness to be forced again. This position 
occurs in Y's hand, Game No. 32, 1st Series 
Self-Players. 

Conclusion. 

I have now put you in possession of all the 
conventionalities of the game ; with practice and 
the assistance of the numerous examples in adlual 
play given by the 160 hands in the Self-Players, 
you should be able to play a faultless game in 
the two most important matters : To make the 
best possible use of any combination of cards that 
may fall into your hand ; and, to give the greatest 
possible amount of information and assistance to 
your partner. 

Facility in the use of the knowledge you have 
acquired, so as to enable you to execute brilliant 



CONCLUSION. 



167 



strokes of play, can come only with practice ; but 
while you are practising you will find that your 
reputation for ability to play a straightforward, 
intelligible, and conventionally accurate game will 
entitle you to a seat at the same table with the 
best players, in whose company you will make 
more progress in a week than you would by 
playing u bumble puppy n for ten years. 

Do not run away with the impression that a 
thorough knowledge of all the conventionalities 
of the game will enable you to win every time 
you play, or will even give you any great advan- 
tage over those who do not possess this knowledge 
to the same extent. I am of opinion that a u book 
knowledge ' ' of Whist is of little value so far as 
winning games is concerned. Ignoramuses can 
sometimes hit on plays that surpass the cleverest 
devices of genius. The great value of the con- 
ventional knowledge of Whist lies in the fa£t that 
the game becomes an intellectual recreation, and 
the book-player derives an inward satisfaction from 
it that it does not yield to others. It is so in some 
other games. No matter how expert you become 
at billiards, you still get beaten ; but the enjoyment 
of being able to make fancy, draw, and masse 
shots remains the same. At Whist you perhaps 
inferred the position of the last five cards ; and 
you were quite correct ; every card was as you 
supposed ; but the duffers took all the tricks, and 



i68 



FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL. 



marked up the rubber. Nevertheless you had 
much more enjoyment in the game than they had. 

I shall be happy at any time to answer any 
questions, to decide any dispute on Whist matters, 
&c, or to examine any games or curious hands 
that may come to the notice of readers. I shall 
be particularly glad to receive brief statements of 
any peculiar or interesting positions that may occur 
in actual play, for use as examples in future 
editions. 



INDEX. 



Ace Leads, 12 
Calling for Trumps, 109 
Combinations possible, 3 
Court Card Leads, 19 
Departure from Rules, 144 
Discarding Weak Suits, 155 
Strong Suits, 158 
Doubtful Tricks, 119 
Echo, in Trumps, 114 
,, when Forced, 121 
,, after a Force, 122 
„ Plain Suit, 28 
Eleven Rule, 34 
Established Suits, 70 
Exercise in Discarding, 156 
,, Inferences, 27 
Finessing, 144 
,, Signalling, 1 12 
,, Underplay, 150 
Explanations, 1 
Finessing, 25, 144 

,, by Eleven Rule, 147 
Forced Leads, 24 
Forcing, 117 
Fourchette, 96 
Fourth-best Leads, 22 

,, Second Round, 46 
Four Exactry, 28 
Fourth Hand, 105 
Hand, Sorting, 2 
Inferences, First Hand, 126 
„ Second Hand, 78 
,, Third Hand, 27, 55, 126 
Fourth Hand, 130 



Inferences, Key, 132 

,, Established Suits, 107 
Jack Leads, 17 
Key to Inferences, 132 
King Leads, 8 
Knave (see Jack) 
Leads, Original, 5 

„ Second Round, 38 

„ Exercise in, 126 
Plain Suits, 5 

,, Trumps, 71 

„ Selecting Suit, 6 

,, Short Suits, 23 

,, Forced, 24 
Long and Short Jumps, 40, 42 
Memory, 53 
New Leads, 140 
Notation, 2 

Partner, Untaught, 140 
Partners Leads, playing on, 25 
,, Suits, Returning, 64 
Pass, or Trump? 118 
Peculiarities of Players, 139 
Placing the Lead, 160 
Plain Suit Leads, 5 
,, ,, Echo, 28 
Players, position of, I 

,, peculiarities of, 139 
Play on Partner's Leads, 25, 51 
Possible Combinations, 3 
Queen Leads, 15 
Question your Hand, 68 
Refusing a Force, 164 
Returning Suits, 64 



Returning Suits, with the best, 64 
with 2nd & 3rd best, 65 
, , with two only, 66 
,, with one only, 67 
Trumps, 76 
Rule, departure from, 144 

,, of Eleven, 34 
Seeing Signals, 122 
Second Hand, 76 

,, on Ace Led, 77 
,, on King Led, 77 
,, on Queen Led, 78 
,, on Jack Led, 81 
,, on Ten Led, 83 
,, on Small Card Led, 84 
,, on Forced Leads, 92 
,, on Second Round, 97 
„ on Trumps, 99 
Second Round, Plain Suits, 38 
Following Ace, 45 
King, 39 
Queen, 47 
Jack, 49 
Ten, 49 
4th Best, 50 
Forced Leads, 51 
„ Trumps, 75 
Selecting Suit to Lead, 6 
Sequence, 40 
Short Suits, Leading, 23 
„ „ Second Hand, 93 



Signalling, 109 

Single Honour, Second Hand, 80 

Small Card Leads, 21 

Sorting your Cards, 2 

Strategy, 143 

Strong Suits, Leading, 6 
„ ,, Discarding, 158 

Taking a Force, 118 

Ten Leads, 20 

Tenace, 90 

Third Hand, 25, 51 

Thirteenth Card Led, 125 

Trump, or pass? 118 

Trumps, Calling for, 109 
Echoing, 114 
Forcing, 117 
Leading, 71, 106 
Second Hand, 99 
Second Round, 75 
Signalling, 109 
Third Hand, 76, 114 
,, Uses of, 69 

Unblocking, 55 

Underplay, 150 

Unguarding Honours, 158 

Untaught Partner, 140 

Uses of Trumps, 69 

Weak Suits, Leading, 23 
„ „ Discarding, 155 

What to Return, 64 

Whist Memory, 53 



APPENDIX. 



Opinions of Clubs and Players. 



Extract from an Article in " The Field/' London, December 
28th, 1889, by < CAVENDISH.' 

" I have been favoured with a copy of the lessons. The system 
(which includes all the latest developments) is most ingenious. I 
regret that I am not at liberty to reproduce it." 



SOME AMERICAN ENDORSEMENTS. 

The Milwaukee Whist Club. — The largest, and probably the 
strongest, whist club in the United States. Mr. Rheinart, one of this 
committee, was selected by the celebrated player, Deschapelles, as 
his partner in important matches. 

"The committee appointed by the Milwaukee Whist Club to ex- 
amine and report on the method and devices of Mr. R. F. Foster 
for instruction in whist, have to report as follows : — 1 The committee 
have examined with considerable care and much pleasure Mr. Foster's 
work, and are able conscientiously to bestow high praise thereupon. 
His method of teaching the beginner is simple, lucid, and progressive, 
and his rules concise, yet clear. Not only beginners, but also ad- 
vanced players might profitably enter upon his studies.' — Respect- 
fully submitted, 

"John Rheinart, William W. Wright, H. M. Northrop/' 



The Minneapolis Whist Club. 

" We, the committee appointed by the club for that purpose, have 
made a very careful examination of your whist lessons, and now take 
great pleasure in giving them our heartiest endorsement. They are 
good for the beginner, for the medium player, and for the expert. 
They are brief and comprehensive, logical and well arranged. It 
is our opinion that a careful study of your lessons will make a good 
whist-player out of a novice in a quarter of the time that he could 
otherwise acquire the same degree of proficiency ; and that the whist- 
player who has read every book on the subject will still find many 
points of interest and profit in your instructions. — Very truly yours, 

"Nelson P. Whiting, Lindsey Webb, John H. Briggs." 



The Federal Club, N.Y. — Some of whose whist-players have 
a national reputation. 

"We, the committee appointed to report on the merits of Mr. Foster's 
very original method of teaching whist, have to report that we 
attended the full course of personal instruction given by him in the 
parlors of the Federal Club, afterwards carefully examining his 
method of teaching by mail, and we are fully satisfied that Mr. Foster's 
system is calculated to supersede all other methods of learning the 
game. The whole theory and practice of whist is brought down to 
first principles, and is so forcibly presented to the mind, in accordance 
with the laws of contrast and association that its recollection is 
assured. The great advance in strength of play made by members 
of the Club since attending Mr. Foster's lessons is sufficient evidence 
of the efficiency of his teaching. — Respectfully, 

" Chas. E. Bidwell, G. Requa Westerfield, H. D. Hunt." 



The Ionic Whist Club (Troy, N.Y.) 

"The undersigned having been appointed a special committee of 
the Ionic Whist Club to examine your whist lessons, after such 
examination, thoroughly made, reported favourably to the Club, and 
take pleasure in recommending them to any student of the noble 
game. — Respectfully, 

"George A. Mosher, Theo. F. Barnum, Chas. L. Alden." 



The Hamilton Whist Club (Philadelphia) — Which has won 
and held the championship of Philadelphia against all comers for 
several years past. 

"The committee appointed by the Hamilton Club to investigate 
and report on your method of teaching whist, had a final meeting 
last evening, and decided to advise the members of the Club that 
your lessons are, in the opinion of the committee, worthy of the 
consideration of every member of the Club, and that a notice be 
posted in a conspicuous place in the Club-room urging members 
to take the lessons. The names of the committee who investigated 
the matter, and who heartily approve the same, are: — E. Price 
Townsend, Harrison Townsend, Gustavus Remak, Jr., and Milton 
C. Work. You are at liberty to use our names if you so desire; 
your plan is certainly most excellent." 



The Os-sa-hin-ta Club, of Syracuse, one of the most popular 
clubs in the State of New York. 

"We, the members of the Os-sa-hin-ta Club, of Syracuse, N.Y, 
appointed to examine your system of teaching Whist, consider it 
to be by far the best and most comprehensive method extant. We 
not only thank you for giving us the opportunity to investigate it, 
but also warmly recommend its use to all desirous of learning correct 
Whist. " 

A. D. Head, Chas. E. Earle, Fred. J. Morgan." 



In the publication of his " Whist Manual," Mr. Foster has 
given to the public the entire system of instruction which 
made him famous as a teacher of the game ; but those who 
recognize the great superiority of the living teacher to the book 
can avail themselves of Mr. Foster's course of 

PERSONAL INSTRUCTION IN WHIST. 

The First Course consists of five lessons of one hour each. 

The chief peculiarity of this course is that NO GAMES 
ARE PL A YED ; as he claims that the kaleidoscopic changes 
of a game only tend to confuse and discourage the pupil ; too 
many ideas presented to the mind at the same time weaken 
each other, and in the attempt to think of so many things at 
once, everything is forgotten. In Mr. Foster's method the 
elements of the game are presented to the pupil, one at a time, 
by means of a peculiar system of pre-arranged combinations of 
cards exhibited on an apparatus of his own invention. Every 
possibility of the game is thus brought up and dealt with, 
instead of leaving its occurrence to chance, as in the ordinary 
method of instruction during a series of lesson-games, in which 
unimportant points may occur very often, and very important 
ones not at all. 

By this arrangement Mr. Foster can instruct any number 
from i to loo persons at a time, the lessons exactly resembling 
a course of five illustrated lectures on Whist. 

Terms, for the full course, $50 ; regardless of number in 
the class. That is ; if a class of fifty persons took the lessons ; 
the entire course would cost them only $1 each. Special terms 
for lectures out of New York. 



The Second Course consists in the personal superintendence 
of the playing over of a number of carefully pre-arranged hands, 
each illustrating some special department of Whist strategy. 
These hands are selected with a view to the individual require- 
ments of each member of the class. Two hours' play constitute 
a lesson ; any number of which can be arranged for. In the 
second course there should not be more than 6 or 8 in a class, 
4 playing while the others look on and cut in. 

Terms : $10 for each lesson of two hours. 

Lessons are given from 10 A. M. to 12 p. M. For particulars 
and dates, address : — 

R. F\ FOSTER, 822 Broadway, New York. 



FOSTER'S WHIST MANUAL, $1 a copy. -\ 

FOSTER'S SELF-PLAYING CARDS, 75 cts. a pack. [ Mailed on receipt 
FOSTER'S WHIST MARKERS, $2 a pair. f of price. 

FOSTER'S W r HIST AT A GLANCE, 10 cts. a copv. J 



BRENTANO'S 



Publishers, Booksellers, Importers. 



Works by Cavendish. 

These are the Authentic, Original and Latest De La Rue 
{London) Editions. 

CAVENDISH'S THE LAWS AND PRINCIPLES OF WHIST. 

Stated and explained, and its practice illustrated on an original 
system by means of hands played completely through, i vol., 
i6mo., cloth, gilt edges, $2.00 

CAVENDISH'S WHIST DEVELOPMENTS. American Leads 

and the Plain-Suit Echo. 1 vol., i6mo., cloth, gilt edges, . 2.00 

CAVENDISH'S THE LAWS OF PIOUET. With a Treatise 

on the Game. 1 vol., i6mo, cloth, gilt edges, . . . . 1.40 

CAVENDISH'S WHIST PERCEPTION. Illustrated by means 

of end-hands from actual play. 1 vol., i6mo, cloth, . . .75 

CAVENDISH'S ECARTE. i6mo, cloth, gilt edges, 
CAVENDISH'S RUBICON BEZIOUE. i6mo, cloth, gilt edges tm 

Comprising : 

8. Spoil-Five. 

9. Cribbage. 



CAVENDISH'S POCKET SERIES. 

Whist Guide. 
Whist Laws. 
Whist I,eads. 
Bezique. 
Polish Bezique. 
Kcarte. 
Euchre. 

15 

64mo, paper, ea., 



10. Calabrasella. 

11. Sixty-Six. 

12. Dominoes. 

13. Chess. 

14. Draughts. 
Backgammon. 



CAVENDISH'S LAWN TENNIS. i6mo, cloth, gilt edges, 



.25 
.50 



Jfrentano's, 



New York — 5 Union Square. 
Chicago — 204-206 Wabash Ave. 
Washington — 1015 Penn. Ave. 
Paris — 17 Avenue de 1' Opera. 
London — 430 Strand. 



FOSTER'S SELF -PLAYING CARDS. 



u The Cleverest and Most Practical Invention 
for Teaching Good Whist." 



This is not a new game, but an ordinary pack of playing- 
cards, so arranged that, although dealt face down, they will 
play themselves. The object is to permit prearranged games, 
which are fine examples of whist, to be properly played by a 
less number of persons than is necessary in ordinary playing. 
One, two, or three persons can play with these cards exactly 
as if four were present. At the same time these cards will 
indicate to each player, at every stage of the game, the manner 
in which such combinations of cards as he may happen to hold 
would be played by an expert if he were present and held them. 

Price, 75c. a pack, $7.50 a dozen; each pack in a 
box, with full explanations, instructions, and analysis of the 
games. The trade supplied. 

BRENTANO'S, 5 Union Square, New York. 



" Cavendish," in The Field y November 9th, 1889, says: 
" Foster's Self- Playing Cards are intended to enable those who 
wish to learn Whist, or to improve their game, to do so. The 
idea is an ingenious one. * * * We find that he has con- 
sulted the best authorities, and has embodied their precepts in 
his self-played games." John L,awrence Baldwin, author of 
the " Laws of Short Whist y "says: "I think and hope they 
may prove a success in the Whist-loving community. These 
cards combine Novelty, Amusement, and Instruction." James 
Payn, one of the finest players in Kngland, says: " I think 
highly of your Whist Cards. " Glasgow Herald, November 
2, 1889: "They are exceedingly ingenious." L/iTERARY 
World, November 15, 1889: "Those desirous of studying 
Whist will find the new invention of great help. ' ' Illustrated 
L/ONDON NEWS, November 23, 1889: "One can hardly overrate 
the advantage of an invention which tells you when you plav 
correctly and corrects your mistakes." 



Andrew Dougherty, 

Nos. 76, 78 & 80 Centre Street, 
NEW YORK. 




N2t/^NEWYORK^50. y 



Manufacturer of the Best Quality and Finest Grades of 
7 ~~' : : : 7 PLAYING CARDS in the market. 



FOR BY AI,Iy STATIONERS. 



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,0 020 565 645 5 




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